Out of Time
by MissMorrigan
Summary: Harry has lost the war and nearly everyone is dead. It's up to Peia Black and her cousin Draco Malfoy to go back in time to stop Voldemort. But what if he could be saved instead? What if Peia could change Tom Riddle? Could they make a better future for the entire Wizarding World? AU. M rating for implied sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This chapter is a bit short, I expect the others will be a fair bit longer. Also there are characters in this story who would not have been at Hogwarts at the same time as Tom Riddle, but I altered things a little bit to fit my story. Sorry if that bothers you. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.**

It felt as though the world had come crashing down upon Cassiopeia Black's head, so why wasn't she dead? Everyone she loved was gone. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Fred, George, Ginny, Charlie, Aunt Molly, Uncle Arthur, her parents, and most of her professors. All dead. She looked up from behind the hunk of stone she was hiding behind. Voldemort was standing over Harry Potter's lifeless body while her cousin Bellatrix Lestrange laughed and danced around them. Death Eaters were cheering all around.

A hand yanked her down and she looked into the face of the only person left in the world she loved and trusted, her cousin Draco Malfoy. He was whispering but she couldn't hear anything, it was as though someone had pulled a fishbowl over her head. She stared up into his grey eyes so like her own, there was a cut across his forehead and his lip was split and bleeding. His pale blond hair was matted with blood and soot.

She looked down at her own golden tresses that were singed and stained with blood. There was a long tear in her jumper across her stomach and she knew there was a cut there that was still bleeding.

Draco's large hands grasped her shoulders and shook her.

"Peia!" he hissed. She looked back up at him, her eyes lifeless. "I have a plan."

There was a spark in his eyes that so reminded her of Harry, but Harry was gone now, there was no point in having a plan. Unless he was planning on the two of them running away. They could go to America, live as Muggles. Their parents were all dead so no one would look for them. Maybe Bellatrix, but they could hide from her.

"Peia, are you listening to me?"

She blinked up at him and shook her head. He sighed, exhaustion etched in the lines of his face, his eyes red from lack of sleep. He reached up and slid a gold chain around both of their necks, grasping the pendant in one hand and one of her hands in his other. She blinked at him again in confusion.

"This is Granger's time-turner. She gave it to me before she d-died. Last resort." Tears shone in his grey eyes that she knew were mirrored in her own over the death of her best friend and his lover. "We're going to go back, stop all of this from happening. We're going to destroy the horcruxes before the prophecy is made. We can end this before it even begins, Peia."

"O-okay," she croaked. Her throat was raw and her voice sounded scratchy. She heard Bellatrix's screeching cackles coming closer to them. "Hurry Draco, they'll find us."

He nodded; spinning the time-turner so many times she lost count. How far back were they going? Peia didn't have time to ask before they were sucked through time and spat back out on the cold stone of the Hogwarts courtyard. It had been dawn when they left their time, but a quick look at the sky told Peia it was a few hours later in the day in whatever time they were in now.

She groaned as she pushed herself onto her knees. Every bone felt broken, every muscle torn, the sleepless nights of the last months were finally catching up to her. And she didn't even know where she was.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, reaching down to pull her to her feet.

"Yes," she lied. He looked at her through narrowed eyes as her knees shook under her weight. "When are we, anyway?"

Draco gave her one last narrowed gaze and sighed. "I think we are in 1949."

Peia started. "You _think_? Are you mental, Draco?"

He snorted and smirked down at her before looking over her head toward the castle. His entire demeanor changed instantly. He went from somewhat relaxed to stiff and guarded, pulling his wand out of his robes and shoving Peia behind him roughly.

Peia peaked around her cousin's shoulder, gripping tightly to his arm. She saw a boy walking toward them, he was tall and slim but she could see that he was well muscled under his robes, not unlike her father and cousin. In fact, he looked an awful lot like her father, as he got closer she saw his shoulder length pin-straight black hair and sharp aristocratic features that were so like her own.

"D-dad?" she breathed when he stopped a few yards in front of the cousins. "Draco, I think that's my dad! You didn't take us back far enough!"

"Excuse me," the raven-haired boy said politely. "Are you okay? I saw you two basically fall from the sky."

Draco looked down at Peia who had moved to stand almost next to him so she could see this seventeen-year-old version of her father. Her face was completely white.

"We're fine," said Draco curtly. Peia nudged him with her elbow; she was constantly reminding him to be more polite. "Are you Sirius Black?"

The boy snorted. "No, Sirius Black was my grandfather. I'm Orion Black. Do I know you?"

Peia's mouth dropped open. This boy was _her_ grandfather. He had died the year before she was born so she had never known him. Everyone had told her that her father and Uncle Regulus looked just like him, but she didn't realise they were the spitting image of him in his youth.

The cousins shared another meaningful look. Did they tell him who they were? Peia knew that her grandfather had been a close "friend" to Voldemort when they were at Hogwarts together, but that he didn't exactly agree with everything Voldemort stood for, though he was one of the first Death Eaters. They had to make a decision, should they trust him? Or more importantly, would he trust them?

"We can't really answer that right now, we need to speak with Professor Dumbledore," Draco spoke with authority. "Can you take us to him?"

Orion arched a brow at the cousins, first looking Draco over as though he was sizing him up and then over at Peia.

"You're both bleeding," he said quietly. "I think you should go to the infirmary."

Draco snorted. "We've both had worse. If you won't take us, we'll go ourselves." He grabbed Peia's hand and led her toward the castle. "He was the Transfiguration professor in this time, I'm assuming his office will be in the same place as McGonagall's."

Peia made a soft noise of affirmation as she struggled to keep up with her cousin's long strides. Her stomach wound seemed to be worse than she originally thought, and it seemed like her ankle might be sprained.

"Draco," she panted. "I'm having a really hard time walking."

He stopped walking immediately and sighed, reaching down to pick her up. Even though she had lost a significant amount of weight over the past year, Draco swayed under the added weight, he was weak an injured too.

"Here," Orion had caught up with them; he pulled Peia out of Draco's arms. "I'll carry her to Dumbledore's office but you have to promise to go to the infirmary after you speak with him."

Peia didn't hear what her cousin said to her grandfather because she was too lost in his appearance. He had precisely the same eyes as her father and Peia wondered if Orion would notice that she also had exactly the same eyes. Draco's were the same colour, but Peia's were even the same size and shape as her father and grandfathers. She noticed that he smelled like sandalwood and aftershave, she sighed contentedly and buried her face into his chest. She was almost instantly asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.**

When she woke Cassiopeia Black was in an unfamiliar bed, scarlet and gold curtains and sheets surrounded her. She thought for a moment that she was in Gryffindor tower and her thoughts went immediately to Harry. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two when a vision of him lying dead at Voldemort's feet came to her mind. She leaned over the side of the large bed and retched onto the floor.

The door opened and she watched as hands yanked the curtains back. Draco was there, a panicked look on his face and next to him was a much younger Albus Dumbledore. She was surprised that his hair and beard were not only shorter but also dark auburn in colour. His light blue eyes had the same twinkle from behind his half moon spectacles that she knew of the Dumbledore from her time.

"Miss Black," he said as he waved his wand to vanish her vomit from the floor. "Your cousin has just been explaining to me the cause of your sudden appearance in nineteen forty-four."

Peia's eyes were the size of saucers. "Nineteen forty-four?" She croaked. At least it wasn't the 1970's, as feared when she saw who she thought to be her father but was really her grandfather.

"Peia," Draco said, sitting next to her on the bed and reaching out to take her hand. "I told him everything. He's going to help us."

She nodded at her cousin and looked up at the older wizard.

"Thank you sir, I'm sorry that I threw up."

Dumbledore chuckled at her. "It's quite alright my dear. I would like you both to attend school here this year, a safe place to plan your mission. You must be careful though, this is Tom Riddle's final year here. He cannot know what you are doing. What we need to focus on now is a back-story for the two of you. Draco tells me that you are the granddaughter of Orion Black and he is the grandson of Cygnus Black. I believe that you should befriend one of these boys; he could be a very useful ally to have. My suggestion would be Orion for he is the kinder of the two."

"Professor who will we tell them that we are?" Peia asked.

"That is where I am at a loss, my dear. I'm afraid I don't know much about distant relatives of the Black family so I don't think it wise to say you are the children of a specific person. Perhaps Orion could help you with that if you wish to tell him the truth."

Peia eyed the professor suspiciously. "Can we trust him?"

"I do not think," Dumbledore said slowly. "That you should tell him the whole truth. Tell him that you came from the future but do not tell him of your task. I do not think he would lie to Riddle if asked a direct question."

Draco nodded and squeezed Peia's hand. "We can do this Peia, don't worry."

"What will we tell other students?"

"We can tell them that you are siblings who lived abroad with their mother, who homeschooled you. You'll both be in your seventh year here, and I assume you'll be sorted into Slytherin."

Peia took a deep breath before giving her cousin a curt nod. It seemed like a decent if not vague back-story.

Dumbledore quickly healed the minor cuts and bruises that the cousin's had before transfiguring their ripped and dirty clothes into clean black robes. Peia used her wand to charm her long hair clean and did the same to Draco who never usually let a hair get out of place.

The professor then escorted them to the infirmary where Madame Midgen gave Peia a potion for her stomach wound and a salve for the cut on Draco's forehead. She reminded Peia of Madame Pomfrey when she told her to sit in the bed for an hour to let the potion heal her.

Professor Dumbledore had gone to talk to Headmaster Dippet about the two blond cousins so Draco and Peia were left alone when the matron shut herself in her office.

Peia looked over at her cousin, his eyes were heavy with the sleep he had missed over the past few months and the worry lines in his forehead seemed to be permanently etched. Her heart sunk when she realised that he was probably thinking about Hermione, just as she was thinking about Harry.

Silent tears slipped down her thin nose as she fiddled with the corner of the blanket. She thought back to the last moments she had shared with the boy she loved. It was in the middle of the final battle, she had just watched Bellatrix kill her mother and tried to fight against her cousin George Weasley to get to her mothers body. George finally threw her over his shoulder and ran down the corridor away from the insane witch.

She remembered the smell of burning flesh and fabric and parchment, the sounds of people she knew and loved screaming and dying, the sounds of Death Eaters laughing, of stone cracking and crashing. Whenever dark magic was performed it left an odor that hung around for days after the act, and at that moment the air of Hogwarts was thick with the stench.

She was retching and dry heaving in an alcove while George kept a look out for more Death Eaters. That was when she felt Harry's hands pull her hair out of her face and gently rub circles on her back. He had told her to let it all out, get it out of her system because they had to keep fighting. She wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve and looked up into his emerald green eyes, she could see the hope in them, that he still believed they could win. He had kissed her, despite her vomit breath, and told her he loved her. She said she loved him too and asked him to promise not to die. He smiled half-heartedly at her and kissed her forehead before walking quickly away.

That was the last time she saw him alive.

"Peia?" Draco said quietly, his voice was rough like he was trying to hold back tears. "Are you thinking about Harry?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Are you thinking about Hermione?"

"Yes. We are going to save them, Peia. But we have to let them go, we have to put it all aside if we are going to accomplish what we came here to do."

"And what is it that you came here to do?" a familiar voice drawled from behind the half closed curtains.

Instantly Draco had his wand out and was on his feet, yanking the curtain back.

Orion Black was standing on the other side, eyes wide as saucers with his hands up.

"Easy there killer," he chuckled. "I was just coming to check that you brought her up here."

"It's okay, Draco," Peia said to her cousin. "We need to speak with him anyway."

Draco lowered his wand but didn't put it back into his pocket; he sat down in the chair closest to Peia, eyeing Orion with suspicion. Orion pulled the second chair towards the foot of the bed and swung it around so he was facing Draco and Peia when he sat down, crossing his arms and ankles.

"I'm all ears," Orion said sarcastically. Peia almost smiled, realizing that he was just like her father.

Draco took a deep breath. "This is all going to be really hard to believe but just bear with us, there are things that we won't be able to tell you."

Orion narrowed his eyes, looking from Draco to Peia, his gaze lingering on her eyes, and slowly nodded.

"Right," said Draco. "I am Draco and this is my cousin Cassiopeia. We were born in nineteen-eighty." Draco paused to let this first bit of information sink in. Peia watched as Orion's expression went from mildly interested to confusion to outright suspicion.

"You're from the future?" He said with one brow raised.

Peia nodded. "We came back here after watching our families murdered to stop it all from happening."

"I thought you weren't supposed to alter the past?"

Draco snorted. "I think that saving the entire world is an exception to that rule. We aren't here to kill anyone or anything like that. We're here to do something that was supposed to happen in our time but wasn't completed. If we finish that now then none of that bad stuff needs to happen. Hundreds and eventually probably millions of lives will be saved."

Peia gave Draco a pointed look and he rolled his eyes.

"Who are your parents?" Orion asked.

Draco coughed and it was Peia's turn to roll her eyes. "We can't tell you that specifically, but we can tell you that we are related to you."

He snorted. "I had guessed that, distantly?"

Peia felt the blush creep up her cheeks. Orion raised a brow at her again.

"Not so distantly then?"

"Technically I'm related to you by marriage _and_ blood," Draco said before Peia slapped him across the shoulder.

Orion's eyebrow had crept so high on his forehead Peia was sure it was going to disappear into his hairline. "What does that even mean?"

Peia cringed. She had hoped to keep that sort of information away from her grandfather.

"Perhaps," Draco whispered into her ear so Orion couldn't hear. "We could tell him the truth, just not the whole truth."

"Isn't that exactly what we're doing?"

"No," he said. "I mean that we could tell him that you're his granddaughter and that I'm his great nephew but not tell him who he's going to marry or who my grandparents are. He might trust us more if he knows that you're his granddaughter."

Peia considered this for a moment. Telling him that he will someday have a granddaughter couldn't really change things too much, could it? "I suppose if he doesn't believe us or freaks out we can always obliviate him."

"That's my girl," Draco chuckled. Peia blushed and looked back at Orion.

"You are my grandfather, and you are Draco's great uncle," Peia said shyly.

Orion went white as a sheet and his jaw practically dropped to the floor. The cousins looked at each other and sighed. Peia knew it would take a minute for the shock to set in before realization came over and he would probably start yelling.

After a few minutes of Orion staring at Peia and opening his mouth as if to speak but words seeming to fail him, he looked at Draco. "M-my sister Lucretia is your grandmother then?"

Draco looked at Peia wide-eyed. He couldn't tell Orion that he was a Malfoy without giving away too much and if he told him that Cygnus was his grandfather then he wouldn't understand how that would make him Draco's great-uncle.

"N-no," Draco said warily. "Cygnus is my grandfather."

Orion furrowed his brow, trying to figure out how exactly that would work. "Is this one of those things where our families were close so I'm not really your uncle but you call me uncle anyway?"

"No—" Draco started but Peia interrupted him by elbowing him in the ribs.

"Something like that, yes. I'm sorry but we can't give you too much information. Spoilers and all that," she offered him a half smile.

He seemed to ponder over that for a moment before slowly nodding. Looking Peia straight in the eye he asked, "So my granddaughter came back in time to save the world?"

Peia nodded.

"Then who am I to stop her? I'll do whatever I can to help you."

A huge smile spread across Peia's face, the first genuine smile to grace her features in months. It felt a little foreign on her face, but it felt good all the same.

The door to the infirmary creaked open at that moment, and the tall younger form of Albus Dumbledore quickly strode toward the three teenagers. He smiled at them, a twinkle in his eye as he saw the cautious way Orion was watching Peia.

"Headmaster Dippet would like to see the two of you in his office, he would like to sort you and discuss the lessons you'll be taking this term."

The three followed Dumbledore to the Headmaster's office.

They settled on which NEWT level classes they would be taking before the Sorting Hat was placed on Peia's head.

_A girl out of time, eh? Hmmm. You are a Black and they are always in Slytherin, but you have a Gryffindor's bravery. You would do well in Ravenclaw too, Miss Black, you have a great mind. Hmmm. _

_I was in Slytherin in my time,_ she thought, _please put me in Slytherin again, it's where I belong._

_Hmmm. Where to put you. Hmmm. I see your task, Miss Black, and it seems that Slytherin will help you to achieve that greatness! SLYTHERIN!_

Peia sighed in relief. She couldn't stand the thought of being put in bloody Gryffindor where she would be constantly reminded of not only Harry and Hermione but also her entire family; her parents and all the Weasley's were Gryffindors.

The Sorting Hat didn't even fully touch Draco's head before shouting out _SLYTHERIN!_ He smirked at her, of course he was a Malfoy with a Black for a mother, there was no doubt that he belonged in Slytherin.

Professor Dippet wished them a good term before shooing everyone out of his office.

"Um, Professor?" Peia said as they reached the bottom of the stone steps. "We don't have robes or books or anything, and we didn't exactly have the foresight to bring along any gold."

"Oh!" said Orion, speaking up for the first time in a while. "I have plenty of gold, I can take you down to Hogsmeade and I can get you whatever you need."

Draco flinched, "You don't have to do that, I'm sure there is another way."

Orion rolled his eyes and smirked at the blond boy. "Professor is it okay if I take them into the village?"

Dumbledore smiled warmly at the trio. "Of course Mister Black, just be back before dinner tonight, Professor Dippet wants to announce the arrival of our new students."

The three walked in awkward silence most of the way to the village. Peia noticed that little had changed around the grounds from the 40's until her time, except that the Whomping Willow was missing. She remembered that it hadn't been put there until the 70's when her dad's best friend Remus Lupin came to school, which meant the Shrieking Shack wouldn't be in Hogsmeade either since it was erected for the young werewolf's monthly transformations.

"So you never did tell me your fake back-story. What are you going to tell the other students?" Orion asked, breaking Peia's thoughts.

"Oh," she said. "Well Dumbledore thought we could just say that we are distant relatives of the Black family and that we lived abroad with our mother who homeschooled us, which is why no one knew us before."

He arched a brow. "And what happened to your mother?"

"She died," Draco said. "So we came to Hogwarts with our only relatives to finish our education."

"It's rather vague," Orion said. "But most people won't question it, especially if you act like you're uncomfortable talking about your past. The only person I see having an issue with it is Tom."

"Riddle?" Peia squeaked.

Orion looked at her questioningly before nodding. "Do you know him?"

Draco cleared his throat and Peia tried to smile. "Spoilers," she said with a wink.

They purchased books, robes, quills and ink, cauldrons, parchments and whatever else Orion thought they might need for their coursework. The Hogsmeade of 1944 was vastly different than the Hogsmeade of the 90's, Peia noticed. There were most of the same shops, but the village was much smaller and the shops that she had frequented in her years seemed new. Orion told them that Honeydukes had only been opened three years previously and The Three Broomsticks was built a few years before he came to Hogwarts.

It was strange to see a place that always seemed timeless so young. It hadn't really hit her that they were over fifty years in the past while they were inside the walls of Hogwarts because nothing ever really changed there, the castle was nearly the same as it had been when it was built. Hogsmeade seemed to be ever changing and growing though.

They sat in The Three Broomsticks, sipping on Butterbeer when Orion pointed toward a window and said they should probably head back up to the castle since dinner would be starting soon.

"What is the date?" Draco asked suddenly as they trudged back up to the castle.

"October 15th, 1944," said Orion.

"Why didn't we see any students when we were at the castle?" Draco asked.

Orion laughed. "It was early when you got here, everyone was still sleeping and then they were eating when you went to the infirmary, then everyone was outside when we walked to the Headmaster's office."

"No one was around when we walked to the village," Peia pointed out.

"No," said Orion. "I expect they were all in their common rooms with homework. So are you two going to be twins or something?"

"Um?" Peia said, arching a brow at him.

"Well you're both seventh years and you said you're siblings, so that would be the only thing that would make sense, if you were twins."

"Right," said Peia slowly.

"But," Draco interjected. "We don't look the same."

Peia and Orion both stopped walking and blinked at Draco before doubling over with laughter.

"What?" Draco demanded. "What is so funny?"

Peia was gasping trying to catch her breath while she leaned on Orion, who was still laughing, for support. "Draco, when you have twins that aren't the same gender they aren't going to be identical."

Draco flushed with realization and then grimaced.

"I think time travel is getting to you, mate." Orion said, clapping Draco on the shoulder. "Lets get dinner over with and then you both need to sleep."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter is a little awkward but bare with me, it gets better I promise. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. **

The Great Hall was filled with students and more were filing in. Peia noticed their stares and whispers as she walked with Draco and Orion towards the end of the Slytherin table that was closest to the Head Table.

She elbowed Draco in the ribs. "Good to see one thing hasn't changed," she nodded toward two Ravenclaw girls who were staring at Draco and giggling. Draco smirked.

Orion led them to a group of what had to be his fellow seventh year boys. Peia sat between Orion and Draco and just as Orion was about to introduce them Professor Dippet stood up to address the students.

"Students," he said loudly, the entire hall quieted immediately. "I would just like to announce that we have two new seventh year students joining us for the remainder of the year." He gestured to Draco and Peia, who nodded at the old wizard. "Draco and Cassiopeia Black. Please join me in welcoming them to Hogwarts." The Headmaster started clapping and the rest of the teachers joined him along with probably half of the student body, while the rest of them just pointed and whispered to their friends.

"That was uncomfortable," Draco hissed and Peia nodded. The two Slytherin's were certainly used to other students whispering about them since they had both been friendly with and eventually dated Gryffindors, but there was something about people who didn't know you at all whispering about you that made Peia especially uncomfortable.

Suddenly there was food in front of them and Peia realised that she hadn't had a decent meal in months. Life on the run from Voldemort didn't really provide you with all the comforts of home; she and Draco had been living on whatever they could find in the woods for quite some time. She looked up at her cousin who was piling more food onto his plate than she thought he could possibly eat. Draco wasn't Ron, he didn't eat enough to feed four people in one sitting, but it looked like he was going to try.

"So are you going to introduce us to your new friends, Orion, or are you going to continue to be rude?"

Peia looked up at the girl who had spoken, she was on the other side of the table and about two people down to Peia's left. She recognized her immediately, her intensely blue eyes and straight blonde hair; Peia was looking at her grandmother. Not the cranky blood-purity obsessed version that she vaguely remembered from when she was little, but the seventeen-year-old, young, and beautiful version.

"Right," said Orion with a sigh. "Everyone, this is Draco and Peia Black. They're my distant cousins."

Peia tore her eyes off her grandmother and shyly smiled at those around her.

Orion gestured to the boy on his left, "This is Cygnus Black." The boy looked an awful lot like Orion but he had startlingly blue eyes that seemed really familiar to Peia and it wasn't until she heard Draco's sharp intake of breath that she realised that Narcissa had exactly the same eye colour. She nudged Draco in the ribs and smiled politely at Cygnus who nodded at her and her "brother".

"That is Abraxas Malfoy across from you," Peia looked up at the boy with white-blond hair just like Draco's, but was surprised to see he held no other resemblance to either his son or grandson. He had blue eyes that seemed to stare straight into Peia's soul and full lips that were pulled into a smirk that reminded her of Draco. She blushed under his stare and his smirk widened.

"Next to him is Cedrella Black, and then Walburga Black, Druella Rosier, and Dorea Black." Peia smiled and nodded at the line of girls, trying to remember from the family tapestry who was who. She knew that Druella married Cygnus and she thought that Cedrella married Septimus Weasley and then was blasted off the tapestry by her grandmother, she couldn't remember whom Dorea married and made a mental note to ask Draco later.

"And then on the other side of Abraxas is Tom Riddle." Peia's eyes snapped to the boy sitting across from Draco and she inhaled sharply. Logically she knew that Tom Riddle wouldn't look like the snakelike creature Voldemort had become, but looking into the dark green eyes of a startlingly handsome seventeen-year-old boy came as quite a shock to her. His wavy black hair was styled to perfection and Peia had to suppress a giggle at that; she never would have thought that Voldemort had ever been concerned with his hair.

"Nice to meet you," Riddle said in a voice that seemed too rich and dark to come out of a teenage boy. Peia couldn't explain the blush that crept up her cheeks, why were all the males in the 1940's so attractive? She slowly nodded at him then fixed her attention on the food Draco had piled onto her plate.

* * *

Peia lay awake in her bed in the Slytherin dorms. Orion had sent her and Draco straight to bed after dinner and she was getting her things settled when Walburga and the rest of the seventh year girls came in. One of the other girls, Morgan Nott, asked her if Draco was single. Walburga told her to mind her own business, but Peia said that the girl Draco was dating had died, along with Peia's own boyfriend. No one asked her any more questions after that.

As she lay there on her four-poster bed looking up at the green curtains, she thought about each person from her time that she knew she would have to let go of. First she thought of her Weasley cousins, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. She pictured each redhead in her mind carefully, told him or her she loved them and wished them a peaceful rest. Next, she thought of her Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur and hoped that they would find peace knowing their family was no longer hurting. She thought of Draco's parents, Lucius and Narcissa who were killed in their own home after standing up to Voldemort, she silently thanked them and said goodbye.

She thought of her dad's best friend Remus who had been like an uncle to her and his wife, her cousin, Tonks who had just had a little baby boy. She hoped that Remus would finally find peace in being reunited with her dad and James Potter. She thought of her friend Daphne Greengrass who had been killed by Voldemort for refusing to take the Dark Mark. She pictured of Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom who were tortured and killed by Bellatrix for stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from the Headmaster's office.

Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape who were killed in the final battle. Professor Dumbledore who was killed in their sixth year. She even thought of her fellow Slytherins, Theo Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe, who all took the Dark Mark under their parent's guidance.

She thought of her best friend Hermione Granger, who died trying to protect her and Draco from Bellatrix. Then she thought of her dad, who died protecting her and Harry at the Department of Mysteries their fifth year. Her mum who was killed in a duel with Bellatrix in the final battle. She mentally hugged them both and told them she loved them, she was thankful they were together again.

Last she thought of the boy who meant the world to her, the one she had hoped to spend the rest of her life with. She forced herself to remember how he looked when he smiled, when they would walk together down by the Black Lake in the evenings. She pushed away the vision of how he looked the last time she had seen him. She couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to him and spent the rest of the night crying silently until sleep finally took her.

_Peia stood on the shores of the lake and looked across the black glassy surface where the nearly full moon was reflected. So peaceful, she thought, it must have nearly been midnight. She heard footsteps behind her but didn't turn around. A hand reached out to hold hers and she didn't need to look to know exactly whom it belonged to. _

_"How are you here, Harry?" she asked, peeking at him through her lashes. _

_He smiled at her mysteriously. "This is dream, love. I've come to say goodbye."_

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Harry took her into his arms and she cried into his chest. When she finally caught her breath again she looked up into his emerald green eyes._

_"I don't know if I can do this without you," she said through sniffles._

_He kissed her forehead. "Peia, you can do anything you set your mind to. You can do this, baby; you just have to believe in yourself and in Draco."_

_"But I was thinking and I realised that he has only made two horcruxes by now. We're going to have to wait for _years_ to destroy them all."_

_Harry smiled again; Peia thought her heart was going to break every time he smiled. "Don't you see? You can save him, Peia. Be his friend, an actual friend instead of a follower. Be kind to him. Show him love. The key isn't destroying the horcruxes, it's changing him."_

_Peia thought about his words. "But he's already killed two people, Harry. He's already evil."_

_"People can change, he can make up for his sins, Peia."_

_She nodded and laid her head back down on his chest. She decided to give his words some thought, maybe talk it over with Draco, but she knew he wouldn't be keen on the idea. _

_"Peia, I have to go."_

_She looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes. "No, Harry, don't go."_

_He brushed the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her gently. _

_"I love you." Harry whispered against her lips. _

_"I love you too," she breathed._

* * *

Peia opened her eyes; she could hear that the other girls were awake and getting ready for their classes. She pulled the curtains back and was surprised to find Walburga standing just a few feet in front of her bed.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said, a little startled. "I just wanted to make sure you had enough time to get ready before breakfast. We usually go down as a group."

Peia blushed. "Thank you, Walburga, it's really nice of you to include me."

The other girl smiled. "Call me Wally, curse my parents for giving me such a horrible name."

Peia giggled. "Like Cassiopeia is much better."

Wally rolled her eyes. "It is, but it seems like our family has a bad habit of picking horrible names for girls."

Peia snorted. "The boy names aren't that much better, Cygnus? Honestly."

After her first real shower in what had to be months, Peia dressed in her new Slytherin robes and charmed her hair dry before slinging her book bag over her shoulder and heading to the common room to meet with the rest of "the group".

She saw Draco standing with Orion and Abraxas and started walking towards them but Wally called her over to stand with the younger girls that she had met the night before. There was also a small black haired girl whom she hadn't met standing next to Cedrella with her arms crossed and looking rather grumpy.

Cedrella rolled her eyes and said, "This is my little sister Charis, she's a first year and wasn't happy about having to get out of bed this morning."

Peia smiled at the younger witch. "I still have that problem. I'm Peia by the way."

Charis' smiled a little before blushing and ducking behind her sister. Peia raised a brow at Cedrella but noticed that she, Druella, and Dorea were all staring at someone behind Peia. She turned to look and saw that it was Draco, who had walked up to her and was now snaking an arm around her waist and pecking her forehead.

"I trust my darling sister got a good nights rest?" he asked sarcastically. She slapped him playfully on the chest.

As the group of Slytherins made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast no one noticed that Tom Riddle's watchful eye was on the newest members of the Black family.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: Okay so we are going to see a little bit of Tom/Peia interaction soon! But I want y'all to know this is going to be a slow burn. She's not just going to fall head over heels in love with him! I don't really have any plans for a romance for Draco yet, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions let me know! Also I'm sorry this one is so short, I had to do it this way for flow reasons.**

**-Morrigan**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. **

The next few weeks went by much faster than Peia expected. Her lessons were much more difficult than she imagined they would be and most of her time was spent studying with the other Slytherins in the Library. It wasn't until one late November afternoon that she and Draco were able to sneak away from their new friends.

After lessons that day Draco suggested taking a walk down by the lake so they could talk. Peia automatically headed for her favourite oak tree that was just on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and plopped down onto the cold ground.

Draco rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. "How are you doing with all of this?"

She looked up into his grey eyes, surprised at the level of concern she saw. Of course she knew that Draco cared about her, they had been close their whole lives, but it was more than that now. Now all they had was each other.

Peia looked away, gazing out across the still water. She shrugged. "Other than the people, it's basically exactly what I expected our seventh year to be."

Draco hummed in agreement.

"I miss them though," said Peia quietly. "My parents, your parents, my cousins, Hermione, Harry."

He reached over to slide his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. Peia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I miss them too."

They sat there looking out at the calm water for what could have been hours or minutes.

"What are we going to do about the Riddle problem?" Draco asked suddenly. Peia raised a brow at him and he rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you haven't noticed that he's taken an interest in you."

It was true, at first she just felt him watching her, nearly everywhere she went. Then he started to talk to her, nothing unusual really except that he would always make a point of talking to her whenever she talking to another boy. Even Draco and Orion. The last few days she could hardly get away from him, he was stuck to her like glue.

"I think that there is a chance that we could change him, Draco. He's only made two horcruxes, it's not too late to reverse the damage."

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Peia, he's a psychopath. He can't be changed; you can't put a soul back together again. It's not like pieces to a puzzle."

"I don't believe that," she said stubbornly. "He has never known love. No one has ever cared for him. Hell, no one has ever even been his friend. They've all just been his followers."

Draco sighed and stood up, pulling Peia to her feet alongside him. "Well you work on your theory and I'll figure out where he has hidden the first two horcruxes and work on destroying them. One of us will be right in the end."

Peia laughed. "Why does everything always have to be a competition with you?"

He smirked down at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Race you to the castle?" Before Peia could respond Draco had already taken off running, she shook her head and took off after him, muttering something about bouncing ferrets.

When they reached the Slytherin common room they were both red-faced and grinning ear to ear. Draco had forgotten that even though he was taller than his cousin, she was very quick. She had caught up to him about halfway to the castle and ran right past him. When he finally got to the steps she was sitting waiting for him, and he picked her up, threw her across his shoulder, and carried her down to the dungeons.

Peia flopped down onto the green leather sofa next to Wally. The seventh years always sat on the couches and chairs in front of the fireplace, the younger students knew to get up when the seventh years wanted to sit in _their_ spots.

Wally turned to look at her suspiciously. "I don't know any other girl who plops down the way you do."

Orion snorted from the other couch. Wally turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, that's really mature, Wally," said Cygnus to his sister. Peia threw a pillow at him. He was about to throw it back when Riddle walked into the common room, his eyes narrowing right in on Peia, who shifted nervously under his gaze. Riddle walked swiftly to the rest of the seventh years and sat down carefully next to Peia.

"Even Tom sits down more gracefully than you do," Wally murmured into Peia's ear, and both girls fought to suppress their giggles.

Riddle arched a brow at Peia who smiled shyly at the handsome Head Boy. "Wally was just teasing me about the way I sit down. She says that I plop."

He smirked and said, "You do. Even in class you plop down into your seat."

Peia blushed and nudged him with her shoulder.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he said quietly so only she could hear. "There is a Hogsmeade weekend coming up and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

"Oh!" Peia exclaimed. "Yes, that sounds lovely."

* * *

"You are seriously going on a date with _Tom Riddle_?" Draco hissed for the thousandth time that week while Peia browsed the library for books on time travel. "I didn't think that you were going to get romantically involved with him, Peia. This is a bad idea."

Peia rolled her eyes and ran her finger along the dusty spines. "It's not really a date, Draco. We're just going to Hogsmeade."

"That _is_ a date!" he insisted, slumping against the self. "He looks at you like you're a possession."

She sighed. She knew he was right, though she was loath to admit it. Nearly everywhere she went she could feel Tom's eyes on her and it was starting to get a little creepy. But she reminded herself that she had a job to do, and getting close to Tom Riddle was the only way to do it.

She pulled a book off the shelf entitled Time and the Horrible Things that Happen to the Wizards Who Mess with it. "Straight to the point, aren't they," she sighed, handing the heavy volume to her companion.

"What exactly are you hoping to find anyway?"

"A way to get home when we're done with all of this, of course."

Draco sighed and Peia could have sworn she saw a hint of regret in his eyes.

"What?" she hissed.

"Come with me, there is something we need to talk about."

She arched a brow but followed him out of the library, not realizing where they were going until they were in front of a stretch of bare stone on the seventh floor that was chillingly familiar.

"The Room of Requirement," she whispered. This place held so many memories for her, happy and sad. Dumbledore's Army, hiding out from Filtch with Fred and George, running there after her father was killed so she could be away from everyone else. She watched Draco pace back and forth three times before a small wooden door appeared where before there had just been smooth stone.

She followed her cousin inside and gasped. It was an exact replica of her bedroom from home, right down to the Slytherin green and silver bedclothes. Tears shone in her eyes as she threw her arms around Draco's neck.

"T-this is wonderful, Draco," Peia whispered.

He chuckled into her hair. "I thought you could use a little bit of home."

She crawled onto her bed and snuggled up to the teddy bear that her parents had given her when she was a baby. "Just say it, Draco. Whatever it is."

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the carpet.

"When Granger told me that she had a backup plan, to go back in time if something went wrong, she told me that whoever went back wouldn't be able to go home."

Peia blinked up at him. "No," she whispered.

"Peia," he breathed. "We can't go home. When you change history you're stuck. Because of what we are doing we are changing the future too, so you and I won't have anything to go back to, it won't be _our_ lives anymore."

"I don't understand," Peia said.

"Granger would have explained this better than I am," Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "In going back in time we have erased ourselves from the future."

The colour drained from Peia's face. "So we won't be born?"

"No we will, but you and I, the two of us that are here right now, we can't go back, we are stuck in the past. Stopping Riddle before the prophesy will permanently alter time, the future us won't have to keep going back in time to do it all over again, does that make sense?"

Peia closed her eyes and reluctantly nodded. It was confusing but she thought she might be able to grasp it eventually. She wasn't going home, that was the important thing.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: More Peia/Tom action in this one! Let me know what y'all think of that pairing, because I'm honestly considering changing the pairing. Part of me feels like Peia wouldn't be able to get past what she experienced in her time with Voldemort, and that she would have a hard time differentiating between Voldemort and Tom, even though she tries very hard. **

**-Morrigan**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. **

"Are you ready to go?" Riddle asked, standing up from his chair by the fireplace when Peia came out of her dorm.

She stopped in her tracks and looked awkwardly around at the others gathered there. She had assumed they would at least walk down in a group.

"Um," she fumbled trying to come up with an excuse to put off alone time with Tom Riddle as much as possible. "Wally's almost ready, she asked me to wait for her, and then we can go. Five minutes."

Peia saw the anger flash across Riddle's dark green eyes before he seemed to reel it in and a charming smile replaced it and he nodded. She sat down next to Orion at the end of one of the couches, he put his arm around her and she snuggled into his embrace. Even though he was _technically_ her grandfather, he was more like the older brother she had never had.

"Peia," he whispered into her ear. "I want you to be careful around Riddle."

She tilted her head and arched a brow. "Why?" she asked.

"I don't trust him, especially not with you. Please just promise me you'll be careful. Don't go anywhere completely alone with him, stay around people."

Peia nodded slowly. Sure, _she_ didn't trust Riddle, and neither did Draco, but she wasn't expecting Orion to have the same feelings.

"Good. And here take this," he discreetly handed her a little purse that was heavy with gold. She shook her head, trying to shove it back into his hands. "No really, Peia, this is for you. I gave some to Draco too. It's family money, love, it's yours too. If you need or want anything, I want you to be able to get it."

Peia sighed and thanked him as he chuckled and kissed her forehead. Wally came walking out of their dorm, her long blonde hair perfectly styled and her makeup done to perfection.

Druella sighed. "Took you long enough. And you looked better without the makeup."

Dorea giggled when Wally made a rude gesture toward her friend.

The Slytherin's made their way to Hogsmeade as a group, mostly walking side by side in pairs or threes. Peia walked with Riddle, Draco and Orion trailing not too far behind.

"Is there anywhere in particular that you wanted to go?" Riddle asked as they walked through the Hogwarts gates. Peia smiled up at him and shook her head.

He smirked, "Well I need to go to the book shop, other than that we could just wander the shops?"

"Sounds great," Peia said sweetly.

She didn't like Tom Riddle. She didn't like him one bit. She thought that he was controlling and she could see right through his charm. But she would admit that he was very attractive. He even reminded her of Harry a bit, with his black hair and green eyes, but that is where the similarities ended. Riddle was suspicious of everyone and everything around him, he looked at Draco as though he was his worst enemy, though admittedly he probably was, and he treated everyone like they were beneath him.

Everyone except Peia. He treated Peia like a fragile piece of glass, like she would disappear if everyone wasn't kind to her. He opened doors for her and pulled chairs out for her to sit in, when they walked together he always put himself between her and others, seemingly to act as some sort of buffer.

As they weaved in and out of the Hogsmeade shops Riddle kept the conversation light, asking Peia questions about how her lessons were going and what she thought of Hogwarts. She snuck away from him for a moment while they were in Honeydukes, looking at the sugar quills and thinking of her first time eating one. Fred and George had brought some back for her in her first year and Fred said the look on her face was priceless. She'd loved them ever since.

"What are you thinking about?" a deep voice said behind her. She jumped and whipped around, smacking right into Riddle's chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he laughed. She blinked up at him; his arms had wound themselves around her waist. "What?" he asked, raising a brow.

"That's the first time I've heard you laugh," she said quietly.

He snorted. "I've laughed in front of you before."

She shook her head. "No, you don't laugh, you smirk."

He rolled his eyes and looked at her handful of sugar quills. "Are you buying all of those?"

She blushed. "Yes, I've always loved them."

When they got to The Three Broomsticks, Riddle told Peia to find them a table while he ordered their drinks. She sighed as she plopped down, relieved to be away from him again for a moment. He was just so intense.

"You keep zoning out," he said as he sat down and slid a foaming butterbeer across the table towards her. "Is everything okay?"

Peia stared at the white foam that was sliding down the outside of her chilled mug. "I was just thinking about my family."

Riddle took a deep breath. "You never talk about your family."

Peia looked up at him and smiled. "Well I still have Draco, and now the other Blacks, so it's not so bad."

"Tell me about them, your family back home."

She looked down at her hands and sighed.

"Draco and I were raised mostly by our mum," she said the words as though they had been rehearsed. "Our dad wasn't around much but he was always really great when he was around. Mum was amazing, she was a fantastic cook and had the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known, except maybe our Aunt Molly."

Riddle reached across the table to hold Peia's clasped hands, he squeezed them gently, urging her to open up to him.

"Mum's sister Molly had seven kids, six boys and one girl. It was brilliant cause it was like growing with tons of siblings. Ginny and I were really close, but I was closest with Fred and George, they're twins too. Bit of troublemakers. They had wanted to open a joke shop but were never able to, with the war and all."

"War?" Riddle raised a brow at her in confusion.

"Well, not a war really, just one powerful dark wizard who was pretty much set on destroying everything my family and I cared about."

Riddle looked down at their intertwined hands and spoke softly, "No one will ever hurt you like that again, Peia."

His words struck something deep inside her. _He_ was the one who had hurt her. Sure, it was 50 years later but he was still the same person deep down, wasn't he? She pulled her hands out of his, the bile rising in the back of her throat.

"I-I have t-to go," she stuttered, rising up from her chair without looking at him and hastily making her way to the door.

She ran the entire way back to Hogwarts. She ran up the seven flights of stairs to the Room of Requirement.

_I need to go home. I need to go home. I need to go home. _She thought as she paced back and forth before the small wooden door appeared.

Peia dove under the covers of the small twin bed, clutched her teddy bear and sobbed into the pillow. What had she been thinking? Tom Riddle was Voldemort. He couldn't change. Draco knew that, even Orion knew that he was bad news. Why couldn't she just accept that and let Draco kill him?

He was the reason her entire family, save Draco, was dead. All of her friends, every one she had known in her time. All those good and innocent people, slaughtered for no good reason.

She had no idea how long she'd laid there but the tears eventually stopped, she was sure her body wouldn't be able to produce any more tears since she'd completely soaked the pillow. She made up her mind then that she would do whatever it took to destroy Tom Riddle.

It came as no surprise when the little wooden door creaked open and Draco and Orion ducked through the doorway, identical looks of concern on their faces.

"Peia," Draco said, sitting at the edge of the small bed. "What happened? Riddle told us that you ran off and he wasn't sure why."

Her face flushed with anger and Orion clenched his fists at his sides.

"Did he hurt you?" Orion asked through gritted teeth. "I swear if he—"

"No!" Peia exclaimed, sitting up against the headboard. "He just… He said something that really bothered me. He was asking about my family. I told him they were all dead, and he said that no one would ever hurt me like that again."

Draco blanched and Orion looked between the two, confused. "What the hell?"

Peia sighed and patted the spot on the bed next to her. "I think it's time we told you the whole story."

"Peia, are you sure that's a good idea?" Draco questioned.

She nodded, "He has to understand, Draco." She turned to Orion who was now sitting next to her, "I'm going to tell you the whole truth, and when I'm finished you'll have to make a decision. You'll have to choose to help us or help him."

"I already made my choice," he said but Peia shook her head.

"You have to hear our story first. Then you can really make your decision."

Orion nodded reluctantly and Peia took a deep breath.

Orion had been quiet for the last ten minutes, staring intently at his hands. Peia looked over at Draco and he shrugged his shoulder. Unsure what to do she reached over and grasped Orion's hands, he blinked up at her as though seeing her for the first time.

"We have to kill him," he said slowly. "He can't change, we have to stop him now."

* * *

Peia managed to avoid Riddle for the next three days before he cornered her in the library. She barely managed to slip the book about binding magic that she had gotten, with permission from Professor Dumbledore, from the Restricted Section.

"You've been a difficult witch to have a conversation with lately," Riddle said, standing too close for comfort. "You've always got one of your lackeys with you. Where are they now?"

Peia managed to swallow down the bile that his proximity created and did her best to smirk up at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

A look of concern flashed across his handsome features and he turned serious, reaching out for her hand. She pulled her hand away and backed up a step, bumping into the shelf behind her.

"Peia, about our date—"

"Tom," she said gently. "I'm the one who needs to apologize. I'm just, I'm just not ready for this yet."

"I'm sorry if I was moving too fast," he began but she shook her head.

"No, it's not that. I, um, well, my boyfriend died before Draco and I came here."

Tom gaped at her. "Y-your _boyfriend_?"

She nodded. "Draco's girlfriend too. I told you we lost everyone back home."

"Did that dark wizard kill them?"

Peia took a deep breath and nodded.

"Look, Peia," Riddle said, reaching out for her again, but she sidestepped along the bookshelf, putting more distance between them. "If you're worried about me getting hurt if you get close to me, I can assure you that isn't going to happen."

She almost laughed at that. "I'm not worried about _you_ getting hurt, Tom. I'm worried that _I'll_ get hurt."

After making her excuses to a very irritated looking Tom Riddle, Peia made her way down to supper where her boys were waiting for her.

"Did it work?" Orion asked with a mouthful of mashed potatoes as Peia sat down between the two.

She wrinkled her nose at him before sighing. "Yes, I think so. I told him I wasn't ready to start a relationship and that I needed some space."

"Perfect," Draco chimed in. "Now you just have to work on wining and dining someone else to make him jealous. Any idea who you're going to go after?"

"She could have her pick of the place," Orion chuckled after swallowing. "Practically every male in the school swoons as she walks by."

Draco snorted. "It was the same in our time. I think about twenty different blokes asked her to the Yule Ball."

"Shut up, both of you," Peia warned. "I really don't know who I should pursue, I'm related to most of the blokes in Slytherin and I don't know anyone in the other houses well enough. Plus I don't want to mess up anyone's future."

"Right because it would be _such_ a shame if Lavender Brown was never born. I think you should seduce her grandfather."

"Who?"

"Ouch!" Draco hissed and rubbed the back of his arm where Peia had just pinched him.

"Lavender Brown was this really annoying Gryffindor in our year," Peia said, a smug smirk on her lips as Draco looked rather disgruntled. "I will not be seducing her grandfather, I don't even know if he's here now. For all we know he could be a first year."

"Well it has to be someone who will really irritate Riddle," said Orion quietly as the other two leaned toward him to listen. "The way I see it you have two choices. Someone in his inner circle or someone he hates."

"Like a Muggleborn," Draco said thoughtfully.

"Exactly. But I really think that someone in his inner circle would be better, it will get him to crack faster."

"I agree," Peia whispered. "However I'm related to nearly everyone."

"Not Malfoy or Dolohov or Macnair," Orion hissed.

Peia's eyes widened.

"Actually she's related to Malfoy by marriage," Draco murmured.

"What?"

"Abraxas is Draco's grandfather," Peia hissed. "But I'm not related to him by blood, and I do find him the least revolting. Plus I never knew him so it's not as big of a deal."

"You knew Macnair and Dolohov?"

Peia wrinkled her nose with disgust. "Yes, Dolohov killed one of my dad's best friends and Macnair was just nasty, always gave me the creeps."

Draco shuddered and nodded. "I think Malfoy is the best way to go. Plus it's not like you have to sleep with him, just take some interest in him. I don't think it'll take much for him to ask you out. He practically drools over you."

"That's that then. When are you going to start wooing the young Master Malfoy?" Orion asked sarcastically.

Peia thought about it for a moment before answering. She wanted to get started right away, but at the same time she wasn't sure it would be best to go straight from a date with Riddle to flirting with Abraxas Malfoy.

"After the holidays," she answered. "I think we need some more time to get our plan sorted out anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Christmas time with the Black family! I know that Melania Black died after Orion was born, but for the purposes of my story, she is alive and well!**

**Cassie-D1: I honestly think he would have been mostly indifferent to Peia had he lived longer. Since Sirius had been disowned I don't think that his parents would have had much to do with his family, unfortunately! **

**itsMrsBlack: Riddle opened the Chamber in his fifth year, so Hagrid has already been expelled and Myrtle is dead :( I don't think that Peia would have had a close relationship with Hagrid during her time anyway, even though she dated Harry, she was still a Slytherin and I can't see her skipping off to his hut for tea.**

**-Morrigan**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. **

Peia sat quietly staring out the window of the Hogwarts Express while Draco and Orion played a game of Wizard's Chess. Orion's parents had been nice enough to ask Draco and Peia to their home over the holidays, but Orion said it was mostly because they were curious about the new cousins from abroad, and a bit because he threatened to stay at Hogwarts if they weren't invited.

She was a bit nervous to meet her great-grandparents. She had never even met her grandfather in her previous life because he died the year before she was born. Peia often pondered over what he would have been like had he lived longer, would he have turned out like her grandmother had? The Walburga Black she had known was a vile, twisted old woman who didn't care about her own family who she thought of as "blood traitors." Yet the Wally Black she knew now in the past was kind and thoughtful and probably one of the sweetest girls she'd ever met.

How could someone change that much?

She ignored the pang of guilt in her stomach at the thought of how easily she'd given up on Tom Riddle. If she believed that she could stop her grandmother from becoming a cold-hearted bitch, why did she give up on Riddle? How different was it really? She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. They had come up with the beginnings of what could be the best plan possible, and she wasn't going to slow them down with thoughts of how things could be different.

"Peia," Orion said, gently shaking her shoulder. "We're at the station."

She blinked around and sure enough, the train had come to a stop, and judging by the amount of people on the platform they'd been there for a few minutes. She groaned and sat up, stretching her arms.

"You excited to meet the great-grandparents?" Draco teased.

"I'm quaking in my boots," Peia said dryly and Draco laughed. Orion raised a brow at them but shook his head, leading the way out of the compartment.

Peia recognized the couple immediately. Arcturus Black looked very much like his son, he was tall and slim with sharp features and neat black hair. His cold grey eyes send a shiver down Peia's spine and she was very surprised when his features melted into a warm smile when he saw his son.

Melania Black was another story entirely. She had long chestnut curls that matched her warm brown eyes perfectly and her pale skin was flawless. She had a mischievous smile on her lips from the moment Peia set eyes on her. Her dad may have gotten his looks from the Black side of the family, but she could already tell that his personality came from his grandmother.

Orion was embraced warmly by both of his parents, his mother fussing relentlessly over the length of his hair, muttering about cutting it in his sleep. Peia smiled as she was reminded of her Aunt Molly fussing over Bill's ponytail.

Mrs. Black turned to Peia and Draco who were standing awkwardly to the side; she smiled brightly at them and when Peia held out her hand for her to shake, Mrs. Black pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's so good to meet you darling," she spoke with a slight Italian accent and smelled like roses and sunshine. "Orion has told us so much about you, I'm so excited to have more family around for the holidays."

"It's good to meet you too, Mrs. Black," Peia said shyly.

"Oh you can call me Melania, darling." She laughed and moved on to hug Draco.

Mr. Black smiled down at Peia and offered his hand, which she took with another shy smile. "You must be Cassiopeia. I'm Arcturus, none of that Mister Black stuff, that was my father."

Peia giggled. "Well then you have to promise to call me Peia."

He grinned. "Deal."

They flooed into the drawing-room at 12 Grimmauld Place and Peia was instantly overcome with emotions. She knew it would be difficult to be back in her childhood home, but she hadn't expected it to bother her as much as it did. It was almost exactly the same as it was in her time. The furniture was different and no one had been blasted off the tapestry, but it was largely the same.

"Peia, you can take the room below Orion's, and Draco—" Melania stopped when she saw Peia sniffle and try to wipe her tears away hastily. "What's wrong darling?"

"N-nothing," Peia whimpered. "This place just reminds me of home is all."

Melania's eyes shone with concern as she wrapped her in another hug. "It'll be okay darling, let's go up stairs and get you settled."

Peia nodded and allowed herself to be ushered up the stairs. The room she was put in wasn't her old room; it was the bedroom below it. Orion was the occupant of her room in this time. This room was shockingly similar to how it looked in Peia's time though, the same ancient four-poster full-sized bed, the same mahogany writing desk and matching wardrobe.

She sighed as she plopped down on the bed and watched Melania use her wand to transport Peia's trunk to rest at the foot of the bed. The older witch sat carefully on the bed next to Peia, folding her hands in her lap she looked at Peia with concern.

"I know that you and Draco aren't really who you say you are," Melania confessed quietly. "Before you say anything, I'm not going to reveal your secrets. Orion didn't tell me, I just happen to know that it isn't possible for there to be any "long-lost" Black cousins. We have a book, an ancient book that magically records the names of each child born into the Black line when they are born. At the end of October I saw your names appear but no lines connecting you to anyone."

Peia felt like her eyes were going to fall out of her head. How could she have been so stupid? She knew about the book, it was in her library at home; it had fascinated her since she was a child.

"I-I know about the book," Peia gasped. "I didn't think about it when we made up our cover story."

Melania smiled. "I thought not. Don't worry darling, your secret is safe with me. I won't press you for the truth but I want you to know that I am here for you. I can see that you are of my line, you look exactly like my daughter Lucretia except for your golden hair."

Peia smiled at the older witch. "There isn't much that I can tell you without giving away too much, but I'm Orion's granddaughter."

"Ahh," Melania smiled. "And Draco? I know he is a Malfoy."

She said the surname with an undertone of distaste that made Peia laugh.

"Yes, he's the grandson of Cygnus, and also of Abraxas Malfoy."

"I take it you're not going to tell me who your grandmothers are?"

Peia smiled and shook her head. "Spoilers."

Melania smiled good-naturedly. "So you grew up in this house?"

Peia nodded. "My room was the one above this, Orion's room."

"I hated this house when I first came to live here," Melania said thoughtfully. "But I came to love it because of the people inside it. Arcturus is a wonderful man and the perfect father. Oh," she said with a little jump. "If you grew up here that means that Draco grew up at Malfoy Manor, that horrible stuffy old place!"

Peia laughed. "And this place isn't stuffy? Malfoy Manor is like a castle!"

Melania laughed and stood up, reaching for Peia's hand to pull her to her feet. "Come on, let's go down to the kitchen and I'll make us some tea."

That night as Peia laid awake thinking about the wonderful family she and Draco had been accepted into without hesitation she thought she could actually make it in this world. She had made wonderful friends and had a family she could truly call her own. If she had to be stuck in another time, she thought this was the best one to be in.

She had met Lucretia when she and Melania went to the sitting room with their tea. It was a shock to find out that Melania had been completely correct when she said that Peia resembled her great-aunt. They had the same wide doe-eyes, though Lucretia's were brown like her mother's, the same small narrow nose and high cheekbones. They even had a similar physique, tall and slender.

Lucretia was engaged to marry Ignatius Prewett, who was Peia's great-uncle on her mother's side, and was also training to become a Healer at St. Mungos. She was a very sweet girl, though she seemed a bit suspicious about where Draco and Peia had come from. She was a lot like her mother, it seemed.

That was exactly why Peia decided that it would be in her and Draco's best interest to tell Orion's family exactly who they were and what they had come to do. Something told her she could trust these people explicitly. They would never turn their backs on family, unlike her grandmother did to her father in the future.

Before drifting off to sleep she decided that first thing in the morning she would tell Draco and Orion of her new plans.

Little did she know the boys had plans of their own. Peia spent the next three days cooped up in the dusty library of 12 Grimmauld Place searching for any information they could find on Horcruxes.

So far they had been largely unsuccessful and the boys had shushed her every time she brought up telling Orion's family about their plans. They wouldn't even let her get a sentence out before one of them would interrupt her and say that they needed to focus on finding more information. They didn't really even know what they were looking for, just that they had devoured every word of each book that even hinted at Horcruxes.

Peia slammed her twentieth book of the day closed and sighed, silently cursing Hermione Granger for dying; she would have been better with all this reading. Peia hated reading, unless it was for recreational purposes, she did love a good novel but textbooks and informational books were just so bloody _boring._

"Have either of you found _anything_ today?" she asked, annoyed.

Draco glared at her from his armchair next to the couch she had claimed. "No."

"I think this is useless. I think that we should—"

"Peia we have to figure out how to find a Horcrux before we can do anything," Orion said calmly.

Peia rolled her eyes. "We_ know_ where they are Orion. One is on Riddle's nightstand and the other is on his finger. What we need to know is how to destroy it."

"Yeah," Draco drawled sarcastically. "And once we steal one and destroy it you can bet your arse he'll hide the other one."

Peia sighed once again defeated. "Fine. Whatever. Still I want to tell your parents the truth, Orion."

Both boys gaped at Peia.

"What? No!"

"Are you mental?"

"They'll think we're all mad and lock us up at Mungos!"

"Are you both done?" Peia hissed, a sly smile playing on her lips. The boys were still outraged at her suggestion, which just amused her further. "Your mum already knows. She saw our names appear out of no where in the family records book."

Draco turned white as a sheet and Orion smacked his palm to his forehead.

"How the hell didn't I think of that blasted book?" Orion cursed himself.

"I forgot about it too," Peia chuckled. "It doesn't matter anyway, she asked me about it the night we got here, she said I didn't have to tell her the truth, but that she was there for me if I needed her. I told her a bit of who we are."

The boys went back to gaping at her like she was an animal at the zoo. She rolled her eyes at them.

"You are both ridiculous. Did you ever think that maybe if we tell them what we're doing they might be able to help us?"

The boys shared a resigned look and Peia knew she was going to get her way. She smirked triumphantly.

"It's nearly dinner time, we can tell them then."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I am honestly overwhelmed with the praise I'm getting for this story! There is a big twist coming up soon, and lots of fluff and angst! And even if it's just a few words, please leave me a review! It makes me happier than you can even imagine! I will be changing the rating in a few chapters, there won't be anything explicit, but sex will be not only implied, but it will be discussed. **

**-Morrigan**

**itsMrsBlack: You'll get your spoiler soon enough, just be patient my dear :)**

**As always, I own nothing recognizable!**

Peia looked around at the three shocked faces. Lucretia looked like she was about to be sick, Melania was on the verge of tears, and Arcturus held his fork mid-air, the steak and kidney pie having slid off the end nearly ten minutes previously.

Melania was the first to speak. "I always thought something was off about that boy," she sniffled. "But I never thought that he would do _that._"

Everyone shuddered. It really was unpleasant when one sat down and thought about it. Killing was one thing, but doing so only to split your soul into pieces, it was a very ugly thought indeed.

"I do think we can help," Arcturus said quietly. "If what you're saying is true, and I believe that it is, our family is in danger. We have to stop him now."

Peia smirked in victory at her boys, Draco rolled his eyes at her and Orion huffed indignantly. Which only made her smirk widen.

"You know," Melania said. "I think I remember reading something about fusing a soul back together a few years ago, I'm sure the book is still in the library. Why don't you all go up there and I'll take care of these dishes quickly."

The family nodded their approval, Lucretia and Peia stayed behind to help Melania in the kitchen while the men trudged up the stairs to the library. With magic it only took the witches a few minutes before everything was scrubbed clean and put away again.

As they ascended the stairs Peia caught Melania's wrist in her hand. "Thank you," Peia said sincerely. "For not thinking we're crazy."

The older witch smiled warmly at Peia. "You're family darling, one thing I love about our family is that we never turn our backs on one of our own."

Peia snorted. "Unless they're blood traitors."

Melania's eyes turned sad. "Was your father a blood traitor?"

Peia shifted her eyes away.

"Ahh, I see. I promise I won't say anything to Orion about it. Personally I think that blood purity is a load of bollocks, one of my best friends from school was a Muggleborn, and she was brilliant."

Peia smiled. "My best friend was Muggleborn too, she was the brightest witch of our age."

"Did Voldemort kill her?" Melania's eyes shone with concern as Peia nodded. "Well that's just one more reason to stop him now. So your friend can live a long and happy life."

When they walked into the library Peia noticed that someone had conjured an extra chair that Lucretia was now curled up in. Melania headed straight for the section of books that Peia knew was devoted strictly to the Dark Arts and summoned a book off the top shelf. She settled down into the armchair opposite her husband and Peia plopped down on the sofa between Draco and Orion.

They all watched with bated breath as Melania leafed through the ancient book. When she found the page she was looking for Peia thought her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. This was the best option they could hope for.

"Basically," Melania said, clearing her throat. "That the only way to put a soul back together after ripping it apart is by feeling remorse, truly feeling what you've done. It would be excruciatingly painful, the pain of it could kill you."

Draco snorted. "Well we can give up on that theory right now then because Voldemort doesn't feel remorse. He doesn't care about killing people because he can't know how to love."

"He may not know love Draco," said Arcturus quietly. "But that doesn't mean that he _can't_ know love. I don't believe that there is a person on this earth who doesn't deserve to be loved."

Peia didn't say anything. She was conflicted, to say the least, on one hand she agreed with Arcturus but she also knew the same Voldemort that Draco knew. He was pure evil.

"The problem with this is that we would have to figure out how to make him feel the weight of what he's done," Orion said. "I have no idea how we could possibly do that and we're running out of time to figure it out."

"Orion is right," Draco said firmly. "He's going to create his next Horcrux sometime next year."

Everyone shuddered. The thought of Riddle killing another innocent person was horrifying.

"What is the next object that he uses?" Lucretia spoke up for the first time. "If we find it and hide it, it may throw him off his game a little. He'll have to find something else to use, and like you said he won't just use an ordinary object, it will have to have meaning."

Peia smiled. "That's actually a brilliant idea, Lucretia. I think that the next object is Ravenclaw's Diadem, but since he probably has things sort of planned out we should find Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket too while we're at it so he can't just replace one with the next."

"Did he not use a token of Gryffindor?" Arcturus asked thoughtfully.

Draco snorted. "No, he hated everything that Gryffindor stood for, he wouldn't have wanted part of his soul housed in something that belonged to Gryffindor. Plus the only thing that I know of that was owned by him is the Sword, and that's in the Headmaster's office, I think it would be difficult for him to obtain that one."

Christmas morning Peia woke with a start as someone was banging on her bedroom door. She groaned and rolled over just in time to see two large beings launching themselves onto her bed.

"What bloody time is it?" she hissed, pulling the covers over her head and sinking into the mattress.

"It's Christmas morning, who cares what time it is!" Orion shouted as he bounced on his knees on the left side of her bed.

"There are presents, Peia! Wake up!" Draco laughed, hitting Peia in the face with one of her pillows.

"If you two aren't out of my room in five seconds I will hex you into oblivion!"

The boys were off her bed in a flash with Draco yelling as they scurried out of the room. "Fine, but you need to be out of bed in five minutes or we're coming back!"

Rolling her eyes she sat up and blinked into the sunlight. They had been in the past for almost two months now and being completely honest with herself, Peia didn't hate it. There wasn't any sort of a good future for her in her time right now, so being where she was really wasn't all that bad.

She rolled out of bed and slid into the fuzzy slippers that Melania had given her because the wooden floors of number 12 were always cold. She had slept in a pair of Orion's pajama bottoms and one of his old Slytherin Quidditch tees that she had nicked off of him the first night they were there. She knew it wasn't really the appropriate sleep attire for a girl her age in the 1940's, but she also really didn't care so she didn't bother changing before heading down to the sitting room.

Draco and Orion were sitting on the floor in front of two sizable piles of gifts like the over-sized five year olds that they truly were, Lucretia was sitting on the sofa with her gifts piled at her feet and nursing a cup of steaming tea. Melania and Arcturus were in their usual armchairs, their considerably smaller stack of gifts on their laps. Peia saw that there was another pile of gifts on the floor in front of the empty space on the sofa and realised they were for her.

She choked back the tears that were forming and smiled when Orion threw his hands up in the air and shouted "finally!" when he noticed Peia in the doorway.

Lucretia had given her a beautiful new set of blue dress robes that she said would go so well with her hair and eye colour. Melania and Arcturus gave her more new clothes and a stunning silver necklace with an enormous emerald pendant that made her actually cry. Melania hugged her and said that it was a Black family heirloom and she thought it might remind Peia of Harry's eyes, in a good way.

Orion gave her a beautiful hand-bound leather diary that had the Black family crest on the front; he said he had it made especially for her. From Draco she received a small gold ring with little channel set rubies. He didn't have to say anything, she knew that it was not to remind her of Harry, but of her parents who were both unwaveringly Gryffindor.

Two nights before she was to leave Grimmauld Place and go back for her final term at Hogwarts Peia lay awake trying to come up with a formidable plan to save the future. She knew that the best thing that could happen would be for Riddle to feel true remorse and let his soul repair itself, but she also knew that was the least likely thing in the world.

Peia thought her next option was the likeliest to work; befriend Riddle and keep him at a safe distance so he knows they're just friends, but get close enough to him to have access to the Horcruxes.

As she drifted off to sleep a plan was forming in her mind, a plan that would put her and her boys in unspeakable danger, but Peia Black was no stranger to that.

"Are you sure you want to get that close to him?" Orion asked for the hundredth time the next day. "He's going to think you want to date him."

Peia sighed. "No he won't. We're going to go ahead with our original wine and dine Abraxas Malfoy plan. Not to make Riddle jealous, but to make it known that I'm not interested in him in a romantic way."

Draco looked up from the violent game of chess he was playing with Orion and arched a brow at Peia. "You realise that this plan of yours has about ten thousand holes in it?"

Peia sneered at her cousin and flopped dramatically onto the couch. "I don't see either of you coming up with a plan."

Draco snorted. "Actually we have a plan to find the rest of what he's going to use for Horcruxes."

Peia turned to look at the boys. "Oh do tell."

"Actually," said Orion slowly. "We need to use you as a distraction, you don't really need to know the finer details of the plan."

"You're going to use me as a distraction," Peia hissed. "But it's not important that I know what you're doing?"

"Peia," Draco sighed. "This actually works pretty well with your plan. You can distract him by getting close to him, as a friend, and Orion and I can search the castle for the objects. Then we'll hide them and we can work on a way to destroy the ones he's already made."

She huffed and turned away from them. It _was_ a good plan; it was basically a better version of her plan. She didn't like that they had been the ones to come up with it, she felt more helpless in this time than she ever had in her own.

"How are you planning on destroying them, anyway?" Arcturus asked from the doorway.

Peia raised a brow and looked at Draco and Orion expectantly.

"Well," Draco drawled slowly. "The only thing I know for sure that can destroy them is basilisk venom. Which we won't have access to until sometime in 1994."

Arcturus and Orion eyed Draco suspiciously but he just smirked back at them. Peia rolled her eyes.

"Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. It was opened in our second year," Peia huffed impatiently. "Draco wasn't it Fiendfyre that destroyed the Diadem?"

"I forgot about that," Draco said, his eyes lighting up. "I think it was Crabbe who accidentally burned down everything in the Room of Requirement."

Peia smiled slightly at the memory of her old housemate's foolishness. Crabbe had died in that fire.

"Fiendfyre is too dangerous," said Arcturus seriously. "Even very skilled and experienced wizards and witches can't hope to control it."

"Then we'll just have to learn to control it, Dad," said Orion cockily. "There is no other way unless you know a Parselmouth who can open the Chamber for us."

Draco snorted. "Lets just focus on getting the Horcruxes, we'll figure out what to do with them then."


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay kids, it's about to get good. Let me know what y'all think! Please R & R! And I want to make it clear that Peia is NOT trying to make Riddle fall in love with her. I'm sorry if y'all got confused about that.**

**Morrigan**

**itsMrsBlack: Wasn't that just a theory though? I honestly think that if Tom had ever been showed love in his life, things would have ended up differently. He wasn't loved as a child or as an adult, that's got to screw with your mind a bit!**

**I own nothing recognizable.**

* * *

The beginning of the train ride back to Hogwarts was largely uneventful; Peia spent most of it reading the books that Melania had given her that she thought might help in their task. The boys played several games of exploding snap before the door to their compartment slid open.

Wally, Cygnus, Abraxas, Dorea, and Cedrella all piled into the compartment. Wally sat daintily between Orion and Peia, which only made Peia smile. Cedrella and Dorea sat across from them next to Abraxas and Draco while Cygnus sat next to Orion, raising a brow at the way Orion was looking at his sister.

The next few hours were genuinely the most fun Peia had had so far in the past. The girls chatted about various things, the holidays, boys, their lessons for next term, gossip from school. The boys played another game of exploding snap but stopped when Dorea faked a reaction from the smoke, before joining in on the girls' discussions.

"Well I for one think that it's completely ridiculous that Cedrella shouldn't accept a date with a Gryffindor!" Wally exclaimed loudly after much debate on the topic.

"Septimus Weasley is a _blood traitor_, Wally," Cygnus chided superiorly. "Cedrella should date a pureblood who is in good standing."

"Like whom?" Wally raised a brow at her brother.

Cygnus tapped his chin with his long index finger in mock thought. "How about Abraxas?"

Cedrella choked on her pumpkin pastille and Abraxas let out a hollow laugh, his eyes fixing on Peia. Wally and Dorea laughed so hard they had stitches in their sides.

Wiping the tears out of her eyes Wally looked at her younger brother. "Cyggy I don't think they're a good match."

Cygnus rolled his eyes. "It was just an example!"

This time the entire compartment erupted with laughter, Peia clutched Wally for support. When the laughter died down Dorea cleared her throat.

"I think that we shouldn't have to date and marry based on blood. I'm not saying that I want to marry a Muggleborn, but I think that love is a much more important factor than blood."

"Here here!" Peia shouted, clapping.

Abraxas smirked at Peia. "So if a pureblood asked you on a date would you say no?"

She blushed. "Depends on who it was."

"What if I asked you?"

Peia's face was certainly the colour of a tomato. "I would have to think about it."

"Ooh, denied," Orion mocked.

Abraxas rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a no, Black. And I don't see you asking out the girl you fancy."

Peia wanted to smush herself into the corner and hide from the looks the other girls were giving her.

Orion turned and tapped Wally on the shoulder, who whirled around so fast Peia wondered if she'd given herself whiplash.

"Wally, will you go to Hogsmeade with me on the next trip?" Orion asked confidently.

Peia saw Wally's ears turn red.

"Y-yes, I'd l-like that," she stuttered and Orion grinned at Abraxas who sneered back at him.

* * *

Later that night after the feast Wally dragged Peia into their dorm before Peia even got the chance to sit down in front of the fire. She sat down on her bed facing Wally who was pacing between their beds and wringing her hands.

"Talk to me," Peia said dramatically. "What's so bad about Orion asking you out?"

Wally stopped in front of Peia, her eyes wide.

"What so bad about Orion Black asking me out?" she gulped. "We have been betrothed since we were infants, Peia. _Infants_! Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Peia shook her head. She really had no idea how it felt to have the person you're going to spend your life with picked out by your parents. Although she knew that if her parents hadn't been labeled as blood traitors she probably would have been betrothed to Theo Nott or Blaise Zabini or Merlin forbid it could have been Crabbe or Goyle.

"It's like having your free will taken from you. Of course I could not listen to my parents and marry someone else. But then I'd be labeled a blood traitor and be blasted off the family tapestry."

Peia couldn't hold back her snort, to her surprise Wally smiled weakly.

"I suppose you've seen it then, since you spent the holidays at Grimmauld Place."

Peia nodded. "Melania showed it to me, but I grew up with stories of blood traitors being blasted off it anyway."

Wally nodded. "Even if I were to make a respectable pureblood marriage, if it isn't to Orion my family will disown me. That's probably more my father than anything else though. He's kind of an ass."

Peia giggled. "It's hard to believe that the cousin of Arcturus could be anything other than kind."

"My father and his cousin, though they get on well, are nothing alike. Just wait until you meet him. He's terrifying."

Peia smiled. "So are you saying that you don't want to go on a date with Orion, because it seems to me that you might like him."

Wally frowned and sat down on her bed. "I _do_ like him, Peia, that's the problem."

"I don't see how that's a problem," Peia arched her brow at her friend. "Isn't that the best possible outcome?"

"I suppose," Wally chewed on her bottom lip. "But a big part of me has always been against the idea of marrying him just based on principle. He wasn't supposed to end up being charming and handsome!"

Peia snorted. "I think it's good that you're giving him a chance, he is a really great guy." Not to mention that if they didn't get together Peia would never be born.

"You're right," Wally sighed. "So are you going to accept Abraxas's offer?"

Peia felt the blush creep up her cheeks. "He never actually asked me, it was a hypothetical question."

Wally rolled her eyes. "Well I think he's a much better match for you than Tom. I mean, Tom is handsome and all but he's a bit strange, isn't he?"

"Strange is one word to describe him," Peia said thoughtfully. "He's very, um, intense. We only went on one date but I felt like he was about to propose marriage at any moment."

Wally laughed. "I'm willing to bet he would have saved the proposal for your second date."

Peia took one look at Wally and burst out laughing, the other girl doing the same. They spent the rest of the night in their dorm talking about boys and laughing. Peia went to sleep with a smile on her face, she was so glad that she had gotten the chance to know this side of her grandmother, not just the screeching evil version from her time.

* * *

Two weeks into second term and nothing had gone according to plan. Riddle had dodged every single attempt Peia had put forth in talking to him, he even went so far as to completely ignore her one evening at dinner when she sat next to him. She could see that his ego was far more bruised by her rejection than what she'd originally thought. It was going to take a lot more effort on her part to get those Horcruxes.

Though she still felt his eyes on her nearly everywhere she went.

Orion thought it would be a good idea to move forward with Abraxas, Draco however still cringed every time the subject was brought up. Peia couldn't blame him it was really weird. She would be going on a date with her cousin's grandfather. Luckily she had never met Abraxas in her time, as he had died of dragon pox when Draco and Peia were twelve.

"It's the same as me going on a date with Wally," Draco hissed in Peia's ear one night at dinner after Orion brought it up for the thousandth time.

Peia elbowed him in the ribs. "Spoilers, Draco!"

"He didn't hear me," he whispered back. "Besides, they are betrothed, it shouldn't come as a surprise!"

Peia sighed and took another bite of her mashed potatoes. "I promise I'm not going to stop you from being born, Draco. It's not like a few dates are going to hinder Lucius's birth."

Orion snorted. "Your father's name is _Lucius_? Merlin is it impossible to use normal names?"

Peia choked on her potatoes.

Draco smirked at his friend over Peia's head. "Trust me mate, you aren't much better at picking out names."

Orion looked affronted. Peia rolled her eyes. "It's okay, gramps, it's not your fault the family names are awful."

He opened his mouth to object but just shook his head, fixing his eyes back on his plate.

As the three of them started on their desserts Orion spoke up again.

"I just think that since he's been avoiding you like the plague the best way to catch his attention again is to show interest in someone else. Riddle is a jealous bloke, he won't like one of his closest friend's dating the witch he _fancies_."

Peia laughed. "He doesn't _fancy_ me, Orion."

"Yes, he does." Orion and Draco spoke at the same time.

Peia knew she wouldn't win the argument so she fixed her attention back to her treacle tart.

* * *

The next day while the trio was walking to Charms a hand reached out and brushed Peia's arm gently, she turned and looked into the impossibly blue eyes of Abraxas Malfoy.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Abraxas asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Peia couldn't help but blush, she nodded and turned to Draco and Orion. "I'll meet you in class." Orion wiggled his brow suggestively and Draco rolled his eyes, grabbing Orion's arm and tugging him towards the classroom.

Abraxas led Peia into an alcove in the corridor behind a tapestry of a knight fighting a dragon. It wasn't a very large space so there was less than a foot between the two Slytherins. She smiled up at the tall blond.

"I wanted to ask you this in private," he started slowly. Peia was sure he could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Your family can be a little overwhelming at times."

Peia laughed. "You have no idea."

He smiled and took a breath, if she wasn't positive that it was impossible, she would have thought that he was nervous. "Is there anything going on between you and Riddle?"

She sucked in a breath, that wasn't the question she had anticipated.

"We just went on that one date, it ended really badly. He won't even talk to me now."

Abraxas arched a brow. "Do _you_ have feelings for him?"

Peia shook her head. "None at all."

An actual smile spread across his handsome face. "Good. That leads me to my next question then." He reached down and laced his fingers through hers. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

She squeezed his hand and shyly smiled up at him, biting her bottom lip. "Yes."

"Brilliant," he said, his smile widening he pulled her out from behind the tapestry, their fingers still entwined.

They walked straight into someone else who was walking quickly down the corridor.

Peia's books slid from her arms and landed with a thud on the stone floor when she looked up into the irritated eyes of Tom Riddle. Her jaw dropped, she hadn't expected to shove this in his face immediately after it happened.

Riddle's eyes dropped to Peia and Abraxas's joined hands and he arched a brow at Abraxas. Peia expected him to let go of her hand immediately, but he only held on tighter.

"We'll talk later, Malfoy," Riddle spoke with authority, and knocked his shoulder against Abraxas's as he moved past them towards the Charmed classroom.

Abraxas knelt to scoop up Peia's books, keeping them in his arm when he stood back up, he reached out to take her hand again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, searching her eyes.

"I'm fine," she lied. "What was that about? What's he going to talk to you later about?"

He rolled his eyes. "I expect he'll want to talk about the fact that not only are you and I holding hands but that we came out from that alcove. It's not unusual for couples to use them as places to snog between lessons."

"Well it's none of his business what we were doing behind there," she said indignantly.

He smirked at her. "No, it's not. But Riddle won't see it that way. Come on, we're late for class."


	9. Chapter 9

**I seriously hope I didn't give anyone the wrong impression, I thought it was pretty clear that Peia was uncomfortable pursuing a romantic relationship with Riddle. That's not going to happen. She's fine with being friends, but she can't get past the things she's seen Voldemort do, and the things she know's he's already done, to see him in a romantic light. So to that guest reviewer, I think you've missed the whole point of the story, Peia isn't going to be falling in love with Tom Riddle. **

**Anyway, thank you to all my other reviewers, I love you all! Don't forget to drop me another review at the end! and get ready for some Quidditch in the next chapter! (and maybe a first kiss or two in this one)**

**-Morrigan**

**As always, anything recognizable belongs to JK. **

The next day Peia was not surprised that Riddle didn't join the group of seventh year Slytherin's in their customary walk down to Hogsmeade Village. She was however, relieved. The last thing she wanted was to have her every move watched by the soon-to-be Dark Lord.

To her surprise Abraxas led her to the Hogs Head instead of The Three Broomsticks, when she asked him why he smirked and said, "It's not as popular anymore so it'll be quieter, give us a chance to talk without so many other people around."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. He was so much different from Riddle, who had been the consummate gentleman on their date; it had been his intensity that made her so uncomfortable around him. Abraxas was certainly gentlemanly but in a different way than Riddle, for the Malfoy heir it seemed to come naturally and he wasn't stiff and guarded like Riddle. She had to admit this was much nicer.

They sat down at a small corner booth and Abraxas went to the bar to order drinks. Peia looked around at the small inn, it was much different than it would be in her time. It was clean and there were more patrons than what she was used to.

She smiled when Abraxas set down a large foaming mug of delicious butterbeer in front of her. "Thank you," she said shyly.

He just smiled back at her, and she was struck with how different he looked when he genuinely smiled. Normally he was frowning or sneering and held little resemblance to his future son and grandson, but when he smiled his eyes lit up and she could see more of Draco in him. The thought was very comforting.

"So did you get things worked out with Riddle then?"

Abraxas snorted. "He talked to me last night. He warned me to stay away from you."

Peia arched a brow at him. "And what did you say to that?"

"I told him that you were a big girl and could decide for yourself who you wanted to spend time with. Then I told him that if he didn't want other blokes asking you out then he shouldn't be ignoring you."

Peia choked on her drink. "You did not!"

He smirked. "I did. It's been a long time since anyone has stood up to him. He didn't like it but your brother and cousin had my back so he just left it alone after that."

"They did?" Peia's eyebrows were nearly disappearing into her hairline. Neither had mentioned the confrontation to her that morning.

He hummed in affirmation and reached across the table to take her hand. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. Tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?" she arched a brow at him over her drink.

He smirked. "Something no one else knows."

"Hmm," she thought about it for a few moments, she had always been very open with her close friends and family, until she went back in time she never really had any secrets. There really wasn't much she could tell him without revealing too much or leading to more questions. "I'm terrified of failing."

He tilted his head to the side and squinted his eyes at her. "You're the top of our year, the only person ahead of you in grades is Riddle."

"I don't mean in school," she said truthfully. "I mean I'm afraid of failing in life."

Abraxas furrowed his brow. "You're a brilliant witch, Peia. I don't think you're even capable of failing." He gave her hand another light squeeze and she smiled at him shyly.

"Now you tell me a secret."

His eyes darkened briefly as he considered what to tell her.

"I'm betrothed to a witch who I've never met. She goes to Beauxbatons and she's got some Veela blood."

Peia arched a brow. "The Malfoy's betrothed their only son to a half-breed?"

Abraxas snorted. "I guess so. We're magically bound so I _have_ to marry her and produce an heir."

Peia wasn't sure why that news hit her in the chest like a well-aimed Cruciatus.

"I don't want to, Peia. I really don't want to," he said with sad eyes.

Before she had time to think twice about what she was doing, Peia slid out her side of the booth and sat back down next to Abraxas. She took his hand again in hers this time under the table, his left side pressed up against her right.

"Can I tell you another secret?" she asked, looking into his blue eyes.

He half smiled and nodded.

"I know for a fact that someday you're going to have a son, and eventually he will be one of the kindest men I'll ever meet. And he will have a son who will fall in love with a Muggleborn witch and together they will work to stop this pureblood mania. So you have to marry her, you must have your son."

Abraxas stared wide-eyed at her for a moment before his eyes softened and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I _knew_ you were from the future. Draco, is he…?"

She smiled. "He's your grandson, yes."

"But you're not…?"

Peia laughed. "No, Orion is my grandfather."

He nodded. "So it's okay if I kiss you then?"

Peia blushed and nodded shyly.

* * *

"You were out late," Wally accused, not looking up from the book nestled between her knees.

Peia just smiled and sat on her bed, twisting a lock of her hair between two fingers. She wasn't surprised that Wally and Orion hadn't stayed out as long as she and Abraxas, they had spent increasingly more time together since Orion had asked her out on the train.

Wally sighed dramatically, closed her book and looked over at Peia. "So how was it?"

Peia smiled coyly causing Wally to roll her eyes as she hopped out of her bed and ran over to Peia's. "Tell me everything missy!"

Peia giggled. "He kissed me."

Wally's eyes widened as she grinned. "How was _that_? I imagine he would be a fantastic kisser. He has the best lips."

"It was the best first kiss I've ever had," Peia said with another giggle. "All the others were awkward, but Abraxas knew what he was doing." She sighed and laid back on her pillows.

"Orion kissed me today," Wally whispered so quietly Peia almost missed it.

"Oh! How was that?"

Wally blushed. "Wonderful. Amazing. Perfect. I can't think of any reason not to pursue things with him."

Peia grinned. "That's fantastic Wally!" She sat up and hugged her friend. "I'm so happy for you!"

Wally hugged her back tightly. "I'm happy for you too, Abraxas is a great guy."

Peia sighed. "There's something I have to tell you about that. Help me draw the curtains."

Wally arched a brow put pulled the curtains closed as Peia cast a silencing charm before lighting a candle with her wand for some light.

"Okay, spill," Wally hissed.

"He's betrothed. To a part Veela girl who goes to Beauxbatons."

"Oh honey," Wally sighed and reached out to hold Peia's hand. "But you're a respectable pureblood, I'm sure his parents won't have a problem with him breaking the engagement for you."

Had this been 1998 Peia would have gone running to the hills if someone had said that to her after just one date with a boy. She knew things were really different in the 40's when it came to dating though, and even just spending one day with Abraxas things felt right in a way she couldn't explain.

She shook her head. "They're magically bound."

"That is so like the Malfoys," Wally said with disgust. "At least our family gives you the choice of backing out."

Peia let out a short laugh. She had this horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she thought about Abraxas marrying the Veela girl.

"Hey," Wally said, tugging on Peia's hand. "It'll be okay. All he has to do is marry her and produce an heir. Then he's all yours!"

Peia snorted and Wally's smirk widened into a grin. The girls spent the rest of the night talking about Orion and Abraxas and what they were going to do about their strange circumstances.

* * *

"You told him WHAT?" Draco yelled. "Are you mental woman? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, and you told him _everything_!"

She had been expecting his reaction so she had strategically placed herself between the wall and Orion on her bed in the Room of Requirement.

"Calm down mate," Orion said, raising his hands. "She didn't tell him everything. She told him you two were from the future, which it seems he'd already guessed anyway. She didn't say anything at all about what you're doing here."

"And he didn't ask either!" Peia interjected.

Draco rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean he won't. I'm sure Riddle put him up to this."

Orion snorted. "You really believe that after he was all up in Malfoy's face the other night about Peia?"

Draco huffed and sat at the end of the bed with his arms crossed. "I still don't like it. You can't keep telling people without talking to me about it first Peia! I swear the next time it's going to end up being Riddle!"

"Draco," Peia said, crawling across the bed to sit next to him. "I promise I won't tell anyone else. Not without your permission." He snorted and she grabbed his hand. "We're in this together."

"I think the more pressing issue here is that you kissed him," Orion arched a brow at Peia.

She huffed at him. "_He_ kissed _me_!"

"You let him!"

"What was I supposed to do, say no?"

"Yes!" the boys shouted at the same time, making Peia roll her eyes.

"I'm not going to tell a boy who is perfectly nice and attractive that he can't kiss me."

Draco hooted with laughter. "That sounds very much like pre-Harry Potter Peia. You used to kiss all the boys."

She grabbed one of the many pillows on the bed and thumped him across the face with it. "I did not kiss _all_ the boys!"

"No? Lets do a head count. Theo, Blaise, Michael Corner, Seamus Finnigan."

"Okay that's enough!"

"That was only four! I had it on good authority that you were caught snogging Oliver Wood in our fourth year in a broom closet!"

Peia gasped, she didn't know that anyone knew about that. "I-I did not!"

Orion and Draco both laughed.

"You know," Draco said, suddenly serious. "I never met my grandmother on my father's side."

Orion stopped laughing and Peia's eyes widened. "Why not?" they asked at the same time.

"She died when my father was young, I think. I don't really know for sure."

Peia shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this," she rounded on Orion. "So how are things going with Wally?"

Orion's pale cheeks flushed pink. "Good."

"Good?" Peia squeaked. "I think they're going better than good!"

Orion snorted. "She's told you everything, hasn't she?"

Peia grinned. "Of course."

"Is she your grandmother?" Orion asked mischievously.

Draco rolled his eyes and Peia winked at her grandfather. "Spoilers!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello lovelies! I want to thank everyone for reviewing the last chapter, you have no idea how excited I get every time I get a review! Now, this chapter has a good amount of...implied smut at the end. Which is why I changed the rating of the story. And I'm sorry if you were hoping for a Peia/Riddle pairing in this story, I honestly thought when I first started writing it that was how it would end up, but it's not. I just don't see Peia as someone who could look past the things she has seen him do, even if it was in his future. I think that Riddle's feelings for Peia are more on the side of obsessive, and wanting to almost own her than him actually loving her anyway. I just wanted to make that clear for everyone again. And don't worry, he's in this chapter quite a bit! (and don't forget to drop me a review after you read!)**

**-Morrigan**

**I own nothing recognizable.**

* * *

"Miss Black?"

Peia looked up from her Potions essay at the scrawny first year standing nervously in front of her table in the Library.

"Yes?"

"I was told to give this to you," he handed her a folded piece of parchment with a shaky hand.

"Thank you," Peia furrowed her brow and took the note.

_Meet me by the lake at dusk._

She smiled at the words, she was about to ask the boy who gave him the note but when she looked up he was already gone. She supposed it must have been from Abraxas. She sighed and looked out the window, the sun would be setting soon so she gathered up her things and headed to the common room to drop them off.

The January air was cold as she walked to the lake, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. Though she had always enjoyed Scotland's winter, she thanked Merlin for her warm cloak and scarf as she walked the well-worn path in the snow.

She could see a figure standing by her oak tree; it was too dark to make out who it was but she walked a little faster toward the person. It wasn't until she was a few meters away when she realised it wasn't Abraxas.

It was Riddle.

Tightening her grip on her cloak with her left hand, she slipped her right inside to grasp her wand. She didn't trust Riddle, especially not if he was being secretive about meeting.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat and he turned around, a slight scowl on his face but when he saw Peia the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk. She tightened her grip on her wand.

"Hello," he said quietly.

"Hello Tom," she answered.

His smirk widened. "You were expecting someone else?"

Peia nodded once.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know how else to get you here alone."

She arched a brow. "Why do you need to get me alone?"

"Just to talk."

She blinked up at him, still keeping several feet of distance between them. "Then talk."

He let out a breathy laugh. "So the last time we spoke you told me that you weren't ready for a relationship."

Peia sighed. "I'm sorry, I know I owe you an explanation but I know that it'll never be good enough."

He furrowed his brow and took a step toward her. "What do you mean?"

She sat on the ground at the base of the tree and patted the spot next to her. He didn't seem threatening at this point, just a hurt teenage boy.

"You remind me of someone I lost."

His eyes softened. "Your boyfriend?"

She nodded. "He looked a lot like you, black hair, green eyes. Every time I look at you I see him."

A flash of anger passed across his features that made Peia's blood run cold, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

"It's not your fault," she replied honestly. "It's just too much for me to deal with at the moment. And I do really like Abraxas, but he's betrothed so it doesn't matter."

He chuckled humorlessly. "I assume you'll continue to see him anyway."

She snorted. "Probably."

He searched her eyes for a moment before smiling sadly. "That's part of why I like you so much, I think." She blushed and his smile widened a bit. "Think we could be friends?"

She smiled. "I would love that, Tom."

Peia said goodbye to Riddle outside the common room entrance, he was off to do rounds so she went in alone. She found her friends in their usual place in front of the fire and went to join them, sitting next to Abraxas.

He smiled warmly at her and took her cold hands into his. "Where were you, you're freezing."

"I got a note when I was studying. I thought it was from you, but it ended up being Riddle. I met him down by the lake and we talked." He stiffened as soon as she mentioned Riddle but she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "We agreed to be friends."

Abraxas snorted. "He doesn't have _friends_, Peia. He controls people, all he's interested in is using people in his personal quest for power."

Her eyes widened, she had no idea so many of Voldemort's earliest followers despised him so much. "I know that. But I also believe that if someone showed him true friendship, maybe he could be good."

He smiled and rested his forehead against hers. "I wish I had your outlook on life."

When he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers it seemed to Peia like the entire rest of the world faded away, the only things she was aware of were his lips on hers and his warm hands wrapped around hers. Nothing else mattered.

Until a pillow hit them right in the sides of their faces.

"Oi! I do not want to see you snogging my sister, Malfoy!" Draco hissed from the other sofa.

Peia drew her wand before Abraxas could get a word out, sending a Bat-Bogey hex so fast Draco didn't know what hit him.

"Peia!" Draco shrieked, trying to swat the bogies away from his face. "Make it stop!"

She couldn't help but laugh with the rest of her friends, Orion and Cygnus were doubled over with laughter and pointing at Draco, Wally and the other girls were red faced and giggling. Abraxas just grinned proudly at Peia.

"Peia please!"

"Fine," she sighed and waved her wand to take the hex off.

"Next time," said Abraxas. "Think twice about throwing a pillow at our heads when we're snogging."

* * *

Three days later Peia found herself sitting in the stands at the Quidditch pitch, cheering on the Slytherin team in their match against Ravenclaw. They were up by fifty points, but it had been a close match since the start. Draco was recruited for the team shortly after their arrival at Hogwarts when Slytherin's seeker had been banned from the game after a nasty fight during the match against Gryffindor.

Abraxas, Cygnus, and Orion were the teams chasers, a fifth year named Elizabeth Parkinson played keeper, and the beaters were Winky Crocket, she was the captain and seventh year, and Neil Lament, a fourth year.

Peia was cheering herself hoarse as Abraxas scored another goal, and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned and saw Riddle standing next to her she couldn't help the twinge of apprehension she felt in the pit of her stomach.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said uneasily.

She forced a smile. "It's okay, I'm glad you came, don't usually see you at the matches."

Riddle rolled his eyes. "Quidditch isn't really my thing."

Peia snorted and turned her eyes back to her boyfriend who had scored yet another goal, earning another ten points for their team. He flew close to the Slytherin stands as most of the students chanted his name; he grinned and winked at Peia as he passed.

A fifth year girl who was standing in front of Peia turned around and scowled up at her, so she smirked and waved her fingers at the girl. Wally laughed and nudged Peia with her elbow.

"You better be careful, I think you have a little rival down there."

Peia snorted and Riddle laughed along with Wally. "I heard about your Bat-Bogey hex the other day, I think you can handle a little girl trying to come between you."

Peia smirked and arched a brow at Riddle whose cheeks were flushing pink. Suddenly the Slytherin crowd was going wild with cheers and clapping, while the Ravenclaw fans where hissing and booing. Peia napped her attention back to the match and saw the players dressed in green jumping up and down on the field raising Draco onto their shoulders. He had caught the Snitch and Slytherin had won the match.

* * *

"Another firewhiskey?" Cygnus arched a brow and filled Peia's glass again, chuckling to himself.

Before she could raise the glass to her lips it was snatched out of her hands. She whirled around to see Draco casually sipping her drink, Orion smirking next to him.

She narrowed her eyes at the pair. "Give that back, it's mine."

"I don't think you need anymore, little sister," Draco drawled.

Peia sneered at him. "I'm older than you, Draco."

Orion snorted. "Only by three minutes, Peia. And Draco's right, you've had enough. Cyg, don't give her anymore."

She was outraged. "I'm positive that your girlfriend has had more than me, and I don't see you taking her drink from her!"

Both boys rolled their eyes and Orion took a step toward her. "She's drinking butterbeer, you're drinking firewhiskey. Huge difference."

She sneered at them and stalked away, finding Abraxas in the middle of what looked like a heated debate with Riddle and two sixth year boys that Peia didn't recognise. She sat right on Abraxas's lap.

"My brother took my drink," she hiccupped. "And Orion told Cygnus not to give me anymore." She gave him her best puppy dog eyes in the hopes that he would get another for her.

He smiled and kissed her deeply, when he pulled away she swayed on his knee. "I'll get you another." He lifted her up, set her back down in his seat, winked, and made his way toward the makeshift bar they always pulled out for celebrations.

Peia sighed and leaned back in the chair, admiring her boyfriend as he walked away.

One of the sixth year boys snorted. "Looks like you've got it bad, Black."

Peia arched a brow and looked over at the younger boys. She felt queasy as she realised who they were.

"So what if I have, Dolohov?" she sneered at him and his sidekick, Macnair. "I don't see how it's any of your business."

"'E's bound to 'nother witch. 'Spose you could be 'is mistress," Macnair drawled, sloshing firewhiskey on his trousers.

Peia wrinkled her nose at him and crossed her arms defiantly.

"I don't think," Riddle said in an undertone to his two lackeys. "That Peia's love life is any of your business, and neither is Abraxas's." Both of the younger boy's eyes widened in fear. "Don't bring it up again, do you understand me?"

They nodded hastily, getting up and disappearing into the crowd of partiers.

"Th-thank you," Peia said uneasily.

"They shouldn't speak that way to you," he said quietly, looking her in the eye. "No one should."

Peia looked into his dark green eyes until she heard a cough from somewhere to her left, snapping her out of her daze.

"Cygnus wouldn't give me anymore either," Abraxas said, pulling Peia gently out of the chair and holding her close to his chest. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Peia laughed and rested her head on his lean chest.

"It's after hours, Malfoy. I'd hate to have to give you detention for sneaking out."

Abraxas narrowed his eyes at Riddle, Peia could feel his heart rate increase in irritation. She reached up and put her hand on the side of his face, running her thumb along his cheekbone.

"It's okay," she said quietly, biting her lip. "We can go to my room, no one will bother us there."

* * *

"Peia, Peia stop," Abraxas breathed, putting his hands on top of Peia's before she could get her skirt all the way off.

She blinked at him in confusion. "Why?"

He sighed. "I want to, believe me, I _really_ want to. But it's not really proper, you're a respectable pureblood witch, I don't want to ruin your reputation."

Peia snorted. "Where I'm from it's not that big of a deal. Not very many people wait until marriage."

Abraxas's jaw dropped open. "S-so you're not…"

"A virgin? No. No, I haven't been a virgin since I was fifteen."

He looked as though a piano had just been dropped on his head. "Seriously?"

She nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "It's not that big of a deal in my time, even for respectable purebloods such as myself." He looked away from her, and her stomach leapt into her throat. "Are you okay with that? It's not really something I can change."

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "It's not that I'm not okay with it, it's just that I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never be with you in that way. You're so different from the other girls here, Peia. I never know what to expect with you, you're constantly taking me by surprise."

She blushed. "Is that a good thing?"

"It's a very good thing."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry it's been longer than usual since I last updated, I've been really busy with work because of the holiday. Thank you for all your reviews for my last chapter, but please please please don't tell me to update when it's never longer than a week between my updates. I'm doing the best I can with my busy work schedule and trying to actually have a life in between. But y'all are amazing and I love every single one of you!**

**-Morrigan**

Peia woke the next morning with the worst headache she'd ever experienced as the events from the night before came flooding back to her. She rolled over and when her face hit flesh her eyes flew open. Abraxas had spent the night in her bed.

Not that she minded, of course, but there were other girls in her dorm. She silently prayed to Merlin that her silencing charms had lasted until she and Abraxas had fallen asleep.

"Good morning love," Abraxas whispered sleepily.

She smiled up at him. "'Morning."

Before she knew what was happening he had wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her on top of him. She blushed, realising they were both still naked. He grinned wickedly, running his tongue along his bottom lip, making Peia whimper.

"Shh, your roommates will hear us," he hissed, grabbing his wand off her nightstand and casting a silencing charm.

"You know," she whispered huskily, running her finger down his chest. "It's kind of sexy when you do magic."

He arched a brow at her, snaking his arm around her waist again before flipping her over so she was suddenly underneath him. Pressing himself into her he nipped at her bottom lip, which was already swollen and bruised from the night before. "In that case I'll be sure to do more magic around you from now on."

* * *

"Where the bloody hell have you been all day?" Draco barked at Peia as she and Abraxas sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall that evening. Orion looked nearly as outraged as Draco.

Peia rolled her eyes and filled her plate, they had only gotten out of bed because her stomach had been growling so loudly that neither of them could ignore their hunger any longer.

Draco nudged her with his elbow and she finally acknowledged him.

"_What_ have you been doing?" he demanded.

"What do you _think_ I've been doing, Draco?" she hissed back. "I spent the day in bed with my boyfriend. You've never had a problem with that before!"

Draco looked horrified. "Maybe that's because you've never dated my _grandfather_ before!"

"Lower your voices," Orion threatened. "Someone will hear you!"

Peia glared at both of them. "I'm not having this discussion with you right now."

"Fine," Draco hissed. "We'll talk about it after dinner in the Room."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, I have to finish my Potions essay for tomorrow."

"You can copy mine," Draco offered. "We need to talk about the plan."

Peia sighed, she knew there was no getting around it, and she was going to get an earful from both of them either way. "Fine."

* * *

"Peia! You can't sleep with him!" Draco shouted as soon as the door was closed to the Room of Requirement. "He's my _grandfather_!"

She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and sighed. "Don't you think I know that Draco?" Both of the boys just stared at her, she took a deep breath and sat on the bed. "I _really_ like him, I wouldn't have slept with him if I didn't have feelings for him."

Draco gaped at her. "Are you _in love_ with him?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know. Possibly." She threw her arm across her forehead and fell back on the bed.

"CASSIOP—"

"Draco, don't," Orion said, putting his hand on Draco's shoulder. "You said it yourself that your grandmother died when your father was young. They're magically bound so they will get married and have your father, but that doesn't mean that Peia can't be with Abraxas after that."

Peia whimpered and Draco choked. "You can't seriously be suggesting that Peia just bides her time until _my grandmother_ dies?"

Orion sighed and sat on the bed next to Peia. "No, that's not what I'm suggesting. But if she does love him, and he feels the same way for her, who are we to say they can't be together?"

Draco huffed and sat in the desk chair. "Fuck it. I don't care. Just as long as I'm still born in 1980, I guess it doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry, Draco," Peia mumbled.

"It's fine. Have you gotten anywhere with Riddle?"

"Slowly, I think. I don't know how much he trusts me, and Abraxas doesn't like me spending time with him. But I'm trying to get close to him."

Draco nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb, a sure sign that he was stressed. "I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. And your _boyfriend_ is just going to have to get over it."

"Well if you'd just let me tell him—"

"No!" Draco shouted. "You're not telling him anything more than you already have."

"I trust him, Draco. I know you don't but you don't know him like I do."

Draco stood up and glared at her. "Just because you shagged him doesn't mean he's trustworthy." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Peia and Orion gaped after him. She hadn't seen him that mad since Bellatrix had tortured Hermione. She couldn't stop the flood of tears that came, and she didn't stop Orion from wrapping her in his arms when they did.

"It's okay, he's just frustrated," he whispered, softly smoothing her hair down, something her dad had always done to calm her down.

"I don't know why he has to take it out on me," she mumbled through her tears.

"He shouldn't, it's not fair. But I think it's because you're moving on, and he can't."

Peia pulled away and blinked the tears out of her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Orion sighed. "First you went on a date with Riddle and now you're in a relationship with Abraxas. You're moving on, you've let go of your life from the future. Draco is having a harder time doing that. He still cries himself to sleep every night but we all pretend not to notice, I've been putting silencing charms around his bed every night for weeks."

She sighed. "I had no idea. I thought he was moving on."

Orion shook his head.

* * *

"Draco? Are you in here?" Peia had searched every place she could think of that Draco would run off to, the last place on her list was the girls bathroom on the second floor.

"He's in there," the familiar ghost of Moaning Myrtle whispered, floating out of one of the stalls and pointing to an open stall at the end of the row.

"Thanks Myrtle," Peia rushed past her toward the open stall. "Draco," she whispered sadly. He was sitting on the floor, his head on his knees. "I'm so sorry."

He looked up at her, his eyes rimmed in red. "It's not your fault Peia, I just… I don't know how you do it."

She sighed and sat next to him, lacing her fingers through his. "I didn't think I could at first, but I get my strength from you. You're always there for me, telling me that everything is going to be all right, that we have a job to do. I never realised that you weren't okay."

"I see her everywhere," he whispered. "I can hardly go into the library without having a panic attack after I remember that she won't be there. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I forget just for a moment that she's gone and it's like I can breathe again. But I always remember and it feels like I'm drowning again."

She wiped the tear off his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish you had told me."

He let out a breathy laugh. "So you can feel my pain too? That's not fair. She was your best friend, Peia, I can't put that on you."

"You know what helps me to get through the pain?" she asked, and he quirked a brow at her. "Knowing that they will all be born in the future to a much better world. And that the future Cassiopeia Black will get to fall in love with Harry Potter all over again, and she will become best friends with a bossy, know-it-all, Muggleborn Gryffindor in her first year. That she will get grow up with her awesome cousin Draco, which is something I didn't get to do. All of the shit that we went through, they won't have to."

Draco sighed. "It just really sucks that we had to be the ones to fix everything."

She snorted. "It royally sucks. But I'm glad I'm here with you, there isn't anyone I would rather have by my side."

* * *

They walked arm in arm back to the common room, not needing to talk, just being close to each other with all their cards out on the table.

Peia knew that Draco kept his pain from her to protect her, and she respected that but she also knew they had to be open and honest with each other about everything. Even though they had made new friends in this time, they were each others only link to their past.

It was late when they were getting back so she kissed her 'brother' goodnight and they headed to their separate dorms. She jumped as a hand grabbed her from a shadow, whipping her wand out of her robes and holding it to the throat of her assailant before she realised who it was.

"Woah," Riddle chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Peia arched a brow and lowered her wand to her side. "Grabbing me from the shadows isn't a good way of making sure I'm okay."

His smirk widened and he let go of her arm. "You've been gone all night."

She eyed him suspiciously. "My brother is having a worse time than I thought adjusting to life here, we were talking about it."

"Ahh," he said, nodding his head. "He cries in his sleep most nights, I thought Orion would have told you sooner."

Peia shook her head, her blonde hair falling in her eyes. "Draco doesn't like people fussing over him, he didn't want me to know. Now that I do, I'm going to help him through it, he'll be fine."

"That's good," he spoke with such sincerity that left Peia confused. "I suppose I should let you get some sleep, lessons tomorrow and everything."

She smiled. "Goodnight Tom."

* * *

"I have to go study," Peia whispered, leaning back into Abraxas's chest as they looked out over the lake.

He chuckled softly, tightening his arms around her. "I'll come too, I have to finish that Charms essay."

She sighed. "You can't. I'm studying with Riddle."

Abraxas groaned. "Why do you have to study with him all the time?"

Peia smiled and kissed his jaw. "I don't. I study with you sometimes and with Orion and Draco sometimes. I've even studied with Wally once or twice. I like to shake things up a bit."

He snorted. "Why is it so important that you are friends with him?"

"We've been through this, I can't tell you."

He arched a brow. "You've told me other things, why can't you just tell me this too?"

"Draco doesn't trust you and I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone else what we're doing. All you need to know is that it's important that I get close to Riddle."

He scowled. "I don't like it."

She put her hand on his cheek and ran her thumb along his lower lip. "He's not so bad when he's not trying to be all intimidating around you boys."

He rolled his eyes and kissed her deeply, making the rest of the world fade away into the background. It had been six weeks since their Hogsmeade date and Peia knew she hadn't been happier in her entire life, if only it wasn't for the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach reminding her of his pending nuptials.

She pulled away and stood up, picking up her bag and not looking her boyfriend in the eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked, putting his hand on her waist and turning her so she was facing him.

"Nothing."

He sighed. "Not nothing, Peia. What's been bothering you lately?"

She groaned and turned toward the castle, taking his hand off her waist and pulling him with her. "It's just that when I'm with you I am so _happy_, but then I remember that it's not going to last."

"Who says it's not going to last?"

She arched a brow at him. "Have you forgotten that you're getting married?"

He scowled. "I try not to think of it, especially when we're together, but no I haven't forgotten. However it doesn't mean we can't be together Peia."

She snorted. "I never thought I would be someone's mistress."

"Don't look at it that way. After my son is born I'll divorce her and you and I can be together."

She smiled cheekily. "Is that a marriage proposal, Mister Malfoy?"

He grinned. "It is if you'll say yes."

* * *

"Peia, it's three times anti-clockwise in the second stage," Riddle said, waking Peia from her thoughts.

"Oh," she gasped, looking down at her essay on Polyjuice Potion. "I should know that, it's not as though I've never made it myself."

Riddle snorted. "You've made it once in class, I don't think you're expected to know the recipe by heart."

"More like a dozen times," she hissed under her breath, then flushed at the look of alarm on Riddle's face when she realised he had heard her.

"What did you need Polyjuice Potion for?"

Peia sighed, stuck her quill behind her ear, and leaned back in her chair. "I told you about the dark wizard who killed my family?" He nodded slowly, his eyes darkening. "Well Draco and I had to go on the run from him for a while, we ended up living in the woods but before then we tried hiding in plain sight, living in Muggle parts of the city using Polyjuice to disguise ourselves. But we had been raised as Wizards; we didn't blend in with the Muggles. There were too many close calls with those who were looking for us."

Riddle's eyes widened. "You made _that_ much Polyjuice just to hide from them?"

She chuckled. "No there were other times I made it too, before we went on the run when we were still trying to fight." She blinked back tears at the memories and looked down at her half finished essay. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, lets finish."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for being curious, Tom. Some day when the memories aren't so fresh I promise I'll tell you everything."

* * *

They walked together to the common room, staying on the comfortable topic of school until Peia naïvely asked what he was doing for the upcoming Easter holidays.

"Erm," he mumbled. "I'm staying here."

"What? Why?"

He arched a brow at her. "Peia, I don't have a family I stay here during the Christmas and Easter holidays and then I go to the orphanage for summer."

"Oh," she said, mentally slapping herself on the forehead. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, it's not your fault," he smiled softly at her. "What are your plans?"

She smiled. "Going back to Orion's house, then we're having a little party at Wally and Cygnus's Manor."

"Ahh," Riddle said, looking away from her.

Peia grimaced. "Sorry, I'm sure they would have invited you if you weren't staying here."

He smiled. "That's very kind of you to say, not at all true, but still kind."

She blushed as he murmured the password and gestured for her to go in ahead of him.

"There you are!" Draco shouted from near the fireplace, he and Orion sprang off the sofa and rushed toward her, both grinning from ear to ear. "We have something exciting to show you!"

Peia laughed and turned to Riddle. "Excuse me." He nodded at her and turned to sit at the fire. She arched a brow at her boys. "Well?"

Orion grabbed her arm and tugged her toward her dorm. "We have to talk somewhere private."

She sat down on her bed and watched as the boys cast silencing charms and locked the door for privacy. Finally they sat down with her, identical looks of triumph on their faces as Draco pulled Salazar Slytherin's locket out of his pocket.

Peia squealed in delight as she lunged across the bed, grabbing the locket for closer inspection. She hadn't seen it in her time, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was the correct locket.

She looked up at the boys suspiciously. "Where did you get this?

"We may or may not have snuck out of the castle," Draco said cheekily. "It was still at Borgin and Burkes, which was lucky because I remembered that Hepzibah Smith was killed in 1946 for the locket and the cup."

Peia arched a brow. "What about the cup then? Where is that?"

Draco sighed. "I'm pretty sure that Hepzibah has it. Hermione had told me when each Horcrux was made and who was killed to make it, she also told me where he found them but I can't remember each one. I wasn't really paying attention because I never thought we'd actually have to do this."

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Draco do you remember when the Diadem was made?"

He furrowed his brow in thought before sinking his head into his hands. "Nineteen-forty-five."

"Damn!" Peia cursed and Orion slouched in disappointment.

"We have to find the Diadem," Orion said quietly.

"Helena Ravenclaw knows where it is," Peia hissed.

"Who?" Orion asked, confused.

"The Ravenclaw ghost, I remember Luna saying that she had taken Harry to talk to her before the battle about the Diadem. Hopefully Riddle hasn't gotten to her first."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello lovelies! So this is a super long chapter, I think it's the longest so far! Sorry about that, I just didn't know where to cut it off where it would still make sense! There is a pretty big confrontation in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it as much as my bestie did, I know how much he loves a certain (new) character's voice.** **As always, please R & R!**

**-Morrigan**

**I own nothing recognizable.**

* * *

Four days later Peia was sitting on the bed in her room at Grimmauld Place when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

Melania walked in with a box in her hand, she sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at Peia. "I have something for you to wear to the party tomorrow."

Peia took the box Melania was offering her and opened it slowly; inside there was a beautiful silver hair comb that was encrusted with diamonds and pearls. Her eyes widened as she lifted it out of the box, it was heavy in her hand and she knew it was real silver.

"It's beautiful," she said softly.

"It's a family heirloom of mine, I wore it the first time I met Arcturus and Lucretia wore it for her engagement party. I think it would be beautiful in your golden hair."

She smiled at her great-grandmother. "Thank you."

Melania's smile widened. "So tell me about you and Abraxas Malfoy."

Peia blushed violently. "Um, there isn't anything to tell," she lied.

Melania arched a brow. "I know that's not true, darling. Come on, you can tell me."

Peia groaned. "I am completely in love with him."

"But?"

"But he's betrothed. To some French Veela girl."

"Ahh."

"And obviously I have to let that happen, because if I somehow intervene then Draco won't be born. I can't do that."

"No, you can't," Melania agreed.

"However!" Peia said suddenly. "Draco told me that his grandmother died sometime when his father was young."

"So now you feel guilty because you secretly can't wait for that to happen?"

Peia slumped down on the bed, burying her face in one of her pillows she nodded.

Melania chuckled softly. "Love makes us all a little crazy at times, but I don't think you're a bad person for it. You shouldn't think too much of it now, dear. What is meant to be will happen, just focus on being happy now. Especially if you're going to be sad later."

* * *

The next evening Peia stood in front of the full-length mirror in Melania and Arcturus's bedroom, staring at her reflection. She was wearing a floor-length, black, backless, velvet, gown that had long sleeves and a high neckline, not to mention that it was very fitted. Melania was pulling Peia's long blonde tresses into an intricate up-do and humming to herself.

"I'm nervous," Peia blurted out.

Melania stopped humming and looked at Peia's reflection. "Why?"

"I don't really know, I just have this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that something is going to go wrong tonight."

Melania smiled. "Nothing is going to happen, darling. It's just going to be you and your friends and family, nothing to worry about."

Peia sighed. "I just worry sometimes that by coming back in time I've screwed things up, things that I didn't mean to mess with."

"What sort of things?"

"Oh, I don't know, my own birth maybe. Wally told me that she is nervous about marrying Orion; she had tried to get out of it! Can you imagine talking your own grandmother into marrying your grandfather?" Peia slapped her hand to her mouth as she realised what she had just said.

"So much for spoilers," Melania grinned at her. "But I don't think you have to worry about your own birth, Orion seems like he's smitten with Wally, he wouldn't let her go that easily."

"Oh, well she's mad for him anyway, but it still worries me. What if by my actions Draco isn't born?"

Melania arched a brow. "Darling, Abraxas and that Veela girl are magically bound, they _have_ to get married and produce an heir, he told you that himself. You don't have to worry about that not happening." Peia nodded. "Now, I think you should wear the necklace I gave you for Christmas, the emerald one."

* * *

Peia stepped through the fireplace and into Black Manor after Orion and Draco. As soon as she took one step to the left; an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in the opposite direction. Slightly alarmed, she looked up but relaxed instantly when she saw Abraxas's familiar features.

"Well good evening to you too," she laughed as he steered her toward a door.

"This is not a good evening, Peia," he hissed, ushering her though the door and into a dark corridor.

She arched a brow when she noticed the tense set of his jaw and a vein pulsing in his forehead. "What's wrong?" she reached up to smooth the locks of hair that had fallen into his eyes.

He caught her hand and led her to a bench. "My betrothed is here."

"What?" she commanded, instantly stiff.

He sighed and pressed the back of her hand to his cheek. "I had no idea she was coming, apparently my mother thought it would be a wonderful surprise."

"You couldn't have given me a little heads up?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry, there was no time, she flooed to our Manor not fifteen minutes before we came here."

Peia huffed. "I knew something was going to go wrong tonight."

Abraxas sighed sadly. "You do look incredible though."

She flushed but rolled her eyes. "Doesn't matter, you're here with your fiancée."

"Don't call her that."

"That's what she_ is_, Abraxas."

He put his hand on her cheek, wiping away the tear that had fallen.

"I love you, Peia."

Her heart melted at his words. "I love you too."

* * *

Two hours later and Peia was sitting alone in a corner wallowing in self-pity and firewhiskey as she watched her friends laughing and socializing.

"Come join the party, Peia," Wally begged, walking over to Peia's corner.

Peia shook her head.

"Look," Wally implored, sitting down and taking Peia's hand. "I know it's awkward and it sucks, but at least come and try to have fun. Just ignore her."

Peia blinked at her friend. "How the hell am I supposed to ignore her?"

As if answering her question the Veela girl's laughter floated across the ballroom.

Peia groaned and Wally sighed.

"At least Abraxas looks just as miserable as you do."

Peia snorted.

"Also, you look fantastic tonight."

Peia chuckled darkly. "Not as fantastic as she does."

"Cassiopeia _I-don't-know-your-middle-name_ Black! That is _not_ true and I won't have you thinking that way! Now get your arse up and at least try to enjoy yourself."

Peia's eyes widened and she stood up next to Wally. "Yes ma'am."

Wally grinned. "That's more like it."

Peia followed Wally across the room toward the group of teenagers. For the most part it was just Slytherin's in attendance, besides herself and her boys there was Wally and Cygnus, Druella, Dorea, Cedrella, Morgan and James Nott, Macnair and Dolohov, and a few others she didn't know by name. There was also Charlus Potter, who was engaged to Dorea, and half a dozen others from different houses that Peia didn't know.

Wally came to a stop beside Orion who smiled softly at her and snaked his arm around her waist. A pang of jealousy hit Peia; she was already missing Abraxas's touch.

"You okay?" Draco hissed under his breath, placing his arm over her shoulders.

"Lovely," she said in an undertone, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Never better."

He chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head.

"'Ello," a feminine voice with a French accent called, causing Peia's eyes to snap open. "I do not believe we 'ave met. I am Aline, Abraxas's fiancée."

The Veela girl offered her hand to Peia, who reluctantly shook it very quickly.

"I know _exactly_ who you are. I'm Cassiopeia."

Abraxas, who was standing behind Aline, snorted. She turned around and smiled at him. "'Es something funny?"

Peia cocked her head and looked him dead in the eye. "Yes, is this amusing to you Abraxas?"

Abraxas's eyes widened. "No, not at all. I've just never heard you use your full name before."

Aline smiled and turning back to Peia she gestured to Draco. "Your boyfriend es very funny, 'e was telling jokes earlier."

Peia's mouth dropped open and Draco spit his mouthful of firewhiskey back into his glass, dropping his arm off her shoulder.

"Draco isn't—" Peia glanced up at Abraxas, his jaw was clenched so tightly she was sure his teeth would break. "Draco is my brother."

"Oh!" Aline laughed, flinging her long silvery hair behind her shoulder. "I am sorry, I just assumed."

"I thought they looked very sibling-like," Wally said loudly, nudging Peia in the ribs.

"Well nearly everyone else 'ere came wiz a date," Aline said, gesturing to the rest of the group. "So I thought—"

Peia put her hands up. "I can't do this," she turned and ran towards the door that Abraxas had led her out of when she first arrived.

She collapsed on the floor a ways down the corridor, gasping for breath and furiously wiping the tears off her cheeks. She heard the door open and close again then footsteps coming toward her, she wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face into her dress.

"Hey," Abraxas's deep voice calmed her a bit; he knelt beside her and wrapped her up in his strong arms. "Please don't cry."

She clung to her knees and cried harder as he rubbed circles on her back with his palms.

"I am so sorry my love," he crooned, kissing the top of her head. "I would make this better for you if I could."

Peia took a deep breath and looked up at him. "It's not your fault I went and fell in love with a man who was already spoken for."

He smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "I would say we should get out of here, have some alone time, but I don't think that's a good idea. She would probably come looking for us."

She snorted and wiped at her eyes. "I look a mess now, don't I?

Abraxas shook his head. "You always look beautiful."

She slapped his chest playfully and rolled her eyes. "Is there a powder room around here? I want to splash some cold water on my face."

When they walked back into the ballroom Peia felt Aline's eyes on her immediately. "What did you say when you followed me out?" she asked Abraxas.

"Nothing, I just took off after you," he clenched his jaw again. "Peia I don't really care what she thinks. She's just as much stuck in this as I am. We will marry because we have to, but my heart belongs to you."

Peia's heart sunk at his words. She felt the same way, she truly did, but part of her still felt guilty about it, like she had no business feeling the way she did.

"What are you going to tell her then?"

"I don't know. I could tell her the truth but what good would it do?"

Peia shrugged. As they reached the others, she went to stand between Wally and Draco again, but Orion caught her by the wrist and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" he whispered into her ear.

"No," she answered honestly. "But I will be."

She felt him smile. "When she's dead?"

Peia chuckled softly, "Probably."

"I love you, you know," he whispered hoarsely.

She smiled. "I love you too gramps."

He squeezed her tighter before letting go and she went back to her place between Draco and Wally. Before she could say anything to either of them Cygnus was standing in front of her with a large glass of firewhiskey.

"I'm not cutting you off tonight, kid. Don't over do it," he said sternly but his smirk betrayed him as he handed her the glass.

"You are a god," she said gratefully taking the glass from him, sipping it slowly.

"You'll need it," he said quietly. "The music is about to start."

She groaned and leaned against Draco.

* * *

Nearly an hour later and she was nursing her fourth firewhiskey of the evening. Wally had managed to keep her away from her dark corner, but she was blatantly refusing to step foot on the dance floor.

"Not even with your brother?" Wally begged.

Peia shook her head. "I don't want to dance with anyone, Wally."

"Not even me?" Abraxas said from behind her.

She whirled around. "What would your fiancée say about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't really care what she has to say about anything. She's giving me a headache."

Peia took his hand when he offered it, and allowed herself to be pulled onto the dance floor. It was a slow waltz so she didn't have to think about the steps, her dad had taught her to waltz when she was practically a toddler, dancing her around the drawing room while her mum watched from the sofa.

"Someday, some how, I'm going to make this right," Abraxas said softly. "I don't know how, but I will make this up to you Peia."

She smiled. "You don't have to make up for anything, it isn't your fault."

He grimaced but nodded once. "It doesn't make me feel any better about it."

"You have to stop blaming yourself. I'll endure her for as long as I have to, and I'll be as nice as I can, but don't expect anymore than that."

He chuckled. "That's more than I should ever have to ask of you."

The song changed to a different, more intimate melody. Peia moved to walk back to her table but Abraxas pulled her close for another dance.

"I think two dances is probably pushing it," Peia smiled up at him.

"Like I said before," he smirked. "I don't care what she thinks, and when you're close to me the headache she gives me goes away."

Peia laughed and rested her head on his chest. They danced in silence for the rest of the song, just holding each other close. This time when the song ended Abraxas kissed her cheek, took her hand, and led her off the dance floor. When he walked away she grabbed her glass and downed the rest of her firewhiskey, then set off in search of more.

She found a bottle of the stuff where Cygnus had been sitting so she poured herself a healthy dose and sat down.

"Cassiopeia," she cringed at the French accent and slowly turned to face Aline. "Can we speak for a moment?"

Peia gestured to an empty chair. "Sure."

Aline smiled and sat gracefully down as only a Veela could. "I couldn't 'elp but notice ze way zat my fiancé looks at you, and I won't pretend not to be bozzered by ze fact zat when you ran out earlier 'e followed you."

Peia sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Aline."

"Ze truth would be nice, since 'e won't tell me anything."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's not really my place to tell you anything."

Aline pursed her lips. "We both know zat is not true."

"What would you have me say? That I love him? I think that's obvious."

Aline sucked in a breath. "I needed to know if eet was love or just lust."

This time she didn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Now you know."

"Now I know," Aline repeated. "If I 'ad my way, I would never allow 'im to see you again."

Internally Peia's heart sank into her stomach, but she managed to smirk at the other girl. "We both know that isn't going to happen."

"Perhaps not now, but after ze wedding."

Peia arched a brow. "I promise you, that is not how this whole situation is going to go down. You're never going to keep him away from me. You can try, but that will just push him further away from you."

Aline narrowed her eyes at Peia. "You are very confident in yourself. You forget zat I am part Veela, we 'ave ways with men."

Peia snorted. "I'm not sure how your family tricked the Malfoy's into betrothing their only son to a half-breed, but trust me sweetie, this isn't a war you want to fight."

* * *

When they were saying their goodbyes for the night, Abraxas brushed his hand against Peia's, slipping a small piece of parchment into her palm. She arched a brow at him and he winked, sending shivers down her spine.

She hugged Wally and Cygnus and thanked them before stepping through the floo to Grimmauld Place. Keeping the note clutched tightly in her hand, she told the boys that she was tired and made her way up to her room.

After locking her door she walked across the large room to sit on her bed, unfolding the note as she sat.

_P-_

_Malfoy Manor Library. Midnight._

_-A_

She could tell that he had written the note quickly, but his slanted script was still impeccable. She sighed and held the note to her heart. It had been a trying evening, part of her just wanted to crawl under the covers and not get out until it was time to go back to school. But a much bigger part of her wanted to see him immediately, without that awful girl around. Glancing at the clock, she noted that she only had fifteen minutes to sneak into the drawing room to use the floo.

* * *

As soon as she stepped into Malfoy Manor, Abraxas had her in his arms.

"I'm so glad you came," he said, kissing along her jaw.

She laughed softly. "You know I can't stay away from you."

He leaned back and looked into her eyes. "Come," he whispered huskily, taking her hand and leading her out of the library. "My room is near here, but we have to be very quiet, we have to walk past the room Aline is staying in."

Peia made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. "She's still here?" she hissed.

He quirked a brow at her. "Apparently she's staying for the rest of the holiday."

She rolled her eyes and padded along the corridor a bit faster. "What?" she looked up at her boyfriend with raised eyebrows when he chuckled at her.

"You're adorable, that's all," he smirked and steered her to a stop in front of a door that she recognised as Draco's old bedroom.

She smiled softly at the memories of holidays and eventually family dinners spent at the Manor.

"What?" he asked, pushing the door open and ushering her inside.

"This was Draco's bedroom in our time," she smiled fondly at the familiar room.

"Why doesn't he trust me?"

She sighed and sat on the bed. "Is this really what you want to talk about right now?"

He arched a brow at her. "No, but I'm curious."

"In our time you were very anti-Muggleborn. You were a huge supporter of Voldemort and your son ended up joining the Death Eaters when he was fairly young. He didn't change sides until he saw Voldemort carelessly order the death of a boy who was only a few years older than Draco and I."

Abraxas closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't want to be that person, Peia. I want to be a good man for you, and for Draco and his father. Rejecting everything that I've ever been taught isn't an easy thing to do."

"I know," she said, running her thumb along his cheekbone. "He will come around eventually."

He caught her hand in his and kissed her palm. "You are breathtaking tonight. I didn't think you could look any better than you did at the party, but I was wrong."

Peia blushed and looked down at the white silk nightgown. It wasn't something she ever would have imagined herself wearing before, but her velvet gown didn't seem exactly appropriate either.

* * *

"I should go," Peia whispered several hours later, lying with her head on Abraxas's chest. "I would hate for your fiancée to walk in on us."

He snorted. "Personally I think that would be very amusing."

She slapped his chest playfully. "I think she would kill me."

"I think you could take her. My parents walking in would be much funnier, actually."

Peia gaped at him. "I would be horrified."

He laughed. "But maybe it would make them realise their mistake. This isn't the middle ages, betrothing your child to someone they have never met is essentially torture."

She smiled. "Just give it a few years and we can shove it in their faces."

He grinned. "I can't wait for the day when I come home and say 'Mother, Father, I am divorcing Aline and marrying Peia, and I don't care what you have to say about it.'"

She chuckled. "I can't wait to see their faces."

"I cannot wait to see zere faces when zey see you like zis!"

Abraxas groaned and Peia sat up suddenly, pulling the covers up to cover herself.

"What the hell are you doing in here, Aline?" Abraxas demanded, sitting up and putting his arm around Peia's waist.

Aline crossed her arms and put her nose in the air. "I do not think zat I need an excuse to visit my fiancé."

He arched a brow. "I think that you _do_ need an invitation. I may be your fiancé but have no illusions about our relationship. This marriage is only happening because we are bound."

Aline was outraged as she pointed a shaky finger at Peia. "I demand zat zat _whore_ get out of your bed zis instant!"

Abraxas tightened his grip on Peia's waist. "Be very careful of what you call the woman I love, Aline. The way I see it you have two choices here, you can tell my parents who can't actually do anything about it, or you can make the best out of a shitty situation, which is exactly what I'm doing."

Aline narrowed her eyes at Abraxas.

"Aline," Peia said. "Has there never been a bloke that you've wanted to be with?"

Her eyes widened. "Of course, but I have respected ze union zat my parents made for me."

Peia rolled her eyes. "That's very noble of you, but don't you think that love is more important than some silly betrothal?"

"As someone who 'as never been in love, I do not know, but I can see zat you do. I just ask zat until ze duties of our bond 'ave been fulfilled, you do not see each ozzer."

"Absolutely not," Abraxas sneered, his grip on Peia tightening even more. "No one is going to keep me from seeing her, not even you."

Peia put her hand on Abraxas's arm. "It's not possible for us to not see each other at all, Aline. We go to the same school and we have all our lessons together. However after your wedding, I will do my best to stay away."

Aline narrowed her eyes at the pair but curtly nodded and turned to go. Before she reached the door she spoke again. "I would appreciate et if you left now, Cassiopeia."

Before Abraxas could raise his voice again, Peia said, "I respect that, just give us a few minutes please."

Aline left as silently as she had came, and Abraxas immediately turned to Peia, his eyes alive with anger. She put her fingers to his lips before he could speak.

"May I use your wand? I didn't bring mine."

He arched a brow but turned to his nightstand and handed her his wand. She used to it cast a strong locking spell on the door and a silencing spell around the room.

"I had to make her think that I would stay away from you," she said quietly, meeting his eye. "I have no intention of doing so, but she has to think that I will at least try or she will never let it go."

He sighed. "Of course, I just can't really think straight when I'm angry."

She smiled and kissed him softly. "I know."

It was nearly dawn by the time Peia finally convinced Abraxas that she needed to go home. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him in front of the fireplace in the Manor's Library.

"I love you," she said.

He smiled. "I love you too, see you in a few days."

As she stepped through the fireplace in Grimmauld Place, she felt her nightgown catch on something and she went toppling head first to the floor. Groaning, she sat up to examine her ripped gown, she knew it wasn't anything she couldn't easily fix with a simple wave of her wand.

"I'm sure your gown will be fine," a booming voice said from the door. "I'm more worried about that cut on your ankle."

Peia jumped and spun around to face Arcturus at the door, who was leaning on the frame with his arms folded over his chest looking rather cross.

He pursed his lips at her and walked into the room, offering a hand to help her up and onto the couch. He pulled out his wand and set to healing the deep gash on her leg.

"Not ten minutes ago there was an owl pecking at my window," he said quietly. "Would you like to venture a guess at who it was from?"

Peia groaned. "Mister Malfoy?"

Arcturus nodded, still concentrating on Peia's cut. "Armand was writing to inform me that his soon-to-be daughter-in-law had practically knocked down his door to tell him that my errant niece was apparently in bed with his son." He finally looked at her, his eyebrow cocked in a way that reminded her very much of her father. "I get it, Peia. I really do. I know this whole betrothal business seems crazy to you when you're young but it's just the way our families do things."

"Actually, this was the last generation to have arranged marriages."

Arcturus smiled slightly and sighed. "I'm not trying to tell you what you can and cannot do, I know that's not my place—"

"I haven't had a father since I was sixteen, I'm not completely opposed to you telling me what I can and can't do."

He chuckled. "I haven't known you very long, Peia, but I don't think you would do something knowingly that would affect the future in a negative way. I just don't want you to get hurt by this situation either, he's bound to that girl, they have to marry."

She gave him a small smile. "I know, and I'm sorry for sneaking out, it won't happen again."


	13. Chapter 13

**So this chapter will see us through the end of the Easter holidays right to graduation, I'm sorry that I'm skipping over a lot of time, but it's necessary to move the plot along. As always, read and review!**

**-Morrigan**

**I still don't own anything recognizable.**

* * *

"We won't see you again until graduation," Melania said, hugging Orion. "I want you to write, update us on your progress." She turned to Draco and Peia, smoothing back a piece of Draco's hair. "You'll both write too? And you're staying with us after graduation. As long as you want."

They took turns hugging and thanking her before a flash of pale blond hair that didn't belong to Draco caught Peia's attention.

"Arcturus," said the tall man, his nose was wrinkled in slight disgust.

"Armand," Arcturus mirrored the other man's demeanor.

"Good to see you took care of our little problem from the other night," Mr. Malfoy looked directly at Peia.

Arcturus sneered at him.

"Father," Abraxas said from behind the older man. "Not here, please."

His father ignored him, still looking at Peia who felt like she was a horse up for auction.

"I don't think you've met my niece and nephew," Arcturus said suddenly, a sly smile on his lips. "This is Draco," Draco stepped forward reluctantly and shook his great-grandfather's hand. "And this, is Cassiopeia."

Peia straightened her back and walked confidently up to her boyfriend's father, she stuck out her hand and smirked up at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

If Mr. Malfoy was surprised at all by Peia's attitude, he didn't show it. He shook her hand lightly and smirked right back at her. "Abraxas has told me so much about you, it really is such a pity that we can't sit and chat."

"Such a pity," Peia clucked.

"Peia," Arcturus said, placing his hand protectively on her shoulder. "Your aunt wants another hug before you get on the train." He nodded once at Mr. Malfoy, "Armand, always _such_ a pleasure."

"Likewise."

* * *

She followed Draco and Orion along the train trying to find a compartment when an arm slid around her waist.

"Sorry about my father," Abraxas whispered in her ear.

She smiled. "Don't be, I think I handled myself alright."

"You were brilliant," he chuckled.

They turned to follow the boys into the compartment that Cygnus and Wally were currently arguing in.

"Just because you are madly in love with Orion doesn't mean that I will feel the same way about Druella!"

"Who's madly in love with me?" Orion joked, kissing Wally on the cheek, making her blush.

"Wally thinks that just because things are working out well for you two that the same will happen for me," Cygnus hissed, crossing his arms. "But I don't even _like_ Druella!"

Abraxas snorted. "That's because she's a fifth year, all girls are irritating at that age."

"I wasn't!" Wally and Peia shouted at the same time.

"Yes you were!" chorused all the boys, causing everyone to double over in fits of giggles.

* * *

"You will never guess who I met over the holiday," Peia said, sitting at the Slytherin table between Abraxas and Riddle.

Riddle arched a brow at her and smiled.

"My competition," she deadpanned and he grinned.

"How did that go?"

She rolled her eyes. "About as well as you would expect. She called me a whore so that was fun."

"No!" he gasped in mock horror.

"Oh yes," she giggled. "How was your holiday? I'm sorry you had to stay here."

He smiled. "It was fine. Don't be sorry, it's how I've spent the last seven years, I wouldn't expect this year to be any different."

* * *

"Helena?" Peia peeked around the corner of a third floor corridor where The Fat Friar had told her she would find The Grey Lady. "Helena, can I speak with you?"

The pretty ghost turned around slowly, a wrinkle on her forehead as she examined Peia carefully. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk, I promise I'm not here to make fun of you. I know who you are, Helena. I know you're Rowena's daughter."

If a ghost could be startled, Helena certainly was. "How do you know that?"

Peia smiled. "I'm from the future, Helena. I came here with my brother to stop a certain boy from becoming the most powerful Dark Wizard our world has ever known. He may have already come to talk to you about your mother's Diadem."

Helena's eyes widened. "Tom Riddle," she whispered. "He said he would destroy it."

"He means to turn it into a Horcrux, do you know what that is?"

The ghost nodded slowly. "Of course I do!"

"Did you tell him where it is, Helena?"

She shook her head. "No, I was going to the next time I saw him."

Peia sighed in relief. "Helena I need to know where it is, I'm not going to use it but I won't destroy it either. I need to hide it from him."

Helena eyed Peia warily. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I'm already a smart girl, I don't wish for the intelligence it would give me. All I want is to stop him from using it. He killed my entire family, Helena, and everyone I cared about. Please."

* * *

"Well?" Draco demanded impatiently as soon as Peia closed the door to the Room of Requirement.

Peia rolled her eyes. "She hid it in a tree in Albania. Explains why he used an Albanian Peasant to create the Horcrux. Good news is that she hadn't told him where it was yet, so we really don't even need to get it."

Orion glanced at Draco. "I think we should still find it and hide it somewhere else."

"I don't think she would tell him now, not after I told her what he was going to do with it."

"He could just as easily tell her that you lied. I want it hidden somewhere only the three of us know."

"Fine, but I want to go with this time, it's not fair that you two are leaving me out of all the fun!" Peia whined.

Draco snickered. "Sorry sis, you have to stay here and distract You-Know-Who."

She snorted. "We're going to start calling him that again?"

"What?" Orion asked.

"After Voldemort disappeared everyone was still afraid of him, and refused to say his name. Everyone referred to him as 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,' kind of silly in hindsight."

Orion just shook his head, frowning slightly.

* * *

"That's a really cool ring that you wear," Peia said, pointing at the Horcrux on Riddle's finger. "Is it a family heirloom?"

Riddle sighed, looking at the ring. "I'm an orphan, Peia. I don't have any family."

Peia felt her heart drop into her stomach. Of course she wasn't supposed to know anything about his family. "Right, I'm sorry."

He arched a brow at her. "Not your fault. I know who my parents are though, figured it out a few years ago."

"Oh really?" she squeaked. "Who are they?"

"They're both dead, it doesn't matter."

She sighed. "It does matter Tom, I can tell that it matters to you."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Better than you would believe."

He smirked. "My mum was this mad little pureblood, she lived with her dad and brother near a Muggle village. My father was a Muggle from that village."

"Why is that a secret?"

He arched a brow. "I'm a half-blood in Slytherin, the house of Purebloods."

She snorted. "I don't see what the fuss is with blood. I've seen enough death to know that we all bleed red."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "I don't want anyone else to have to die in the name of blood-purity, Tom. My mum was a brilliant pureblood witch who died for no reason at all other than because she was considered a blood traitor. My father was killed by his own cousin for the exact same reason. It just doesn't make sense."

He shook his head. "You're right, it doesn't. It's just the way things are."

Peia rolled her eyes. "That's the worst excuse in the book. We can't keep going along with things just because 'it's the way it is.'"

"So what should we do then?"

"We should fight to make our world a better place, end blood discrimination. If you're going to hate someone, hate them based on their actions, their decisions. Not because of something they can't choose, a predestined decision they had no say in."

A small grin spread across his face. "You have such fire, Peia. You are truly incredible."

Her cheeks grew warm. "I've just seen too many people die for no reason."

* * *

"Did you get it?" Peia squealed, jumping on the bed in the Room.

Draco groaned, laying face down on the bed.

Orion nodded, his eyes closed as he sat on the bed with his back to the wall. "We got it."

"Let me see!" she sang, bouncing on her knees.

"Dnhrmphnee" Draco mumbled into the pillow.

"What?" Peia laughed.

"Don't have it," he said, turning his face to the side. "Hid it with the other one."

Peia slumped down on her knees. "Boo. I wanted to see it. Is that why you're so tired?"

Orion opened his eyes. "We had to search through about a hundred trees in a remote Albanian forest. That's why we're tired."

"It would have gone quicker if you'd have taken me with you," she sang, sticking her tongue out at him.

Orion snorted. "So how's your mate Riddle?"

"Finally starting to open up to me, actually," she said. "He told me about his parents. Well sort of, he said that his mum was a pureblood witch and his dad was a Muggle and that they're both dead."

"Wasn't his mum a Squib?" Draco asked, rolling over.

Peia shook her head. "Her father thought she was, but she had magic. Harry told me that the Gaunts were severely inbred because their family had wanted to keep Slytherin's line pure. In the end all it did was cause madness and several Squibs."

"Could that happen to our family?" Orion asked, arching a brow.

"I suppose it could," Peia said thoughtfully. "If I marry a first cousin, it would most likely result in a Squib. Even if Draco and I were to get married, the likelihood of a Squib would be high."

Orion nodded then grinned. "So Wally _is_ your grandmother then?"

Peia smacked herself on the forehead. "Damn you!"

* * *

"Waaaaaake up sunshiiiiiine!" Wally sang, throwing Peia's curtains open. "It's graduation day! Aren't you excited?"

Peia groaned and threw her pillow at her friend. "Go away."

Wally laughed and threw the pillow back. "Not a chance! Get up we have so much to do today!"

Peia sat up and narrowed her eyes at Wally. "We packed our stuff last night, what could we possibly have to do today?"

Wally arched her brow. "It's our last day in the castle, P. Graduation isn't until tonight so we have the rest of the day to do whatever we've never done here that we've always wanted to do!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know! Let's go ask the rest of the group!"

Once the girls were dressed Wally grabbed Peia by the hand and hauled her into the common room. The boys and the younger girls from their group were sitting by the fire, as always. Peia felt a pang in her heart when she realised this would be the last time they all sat by the fire.

"Let's do something fun today!" Wally announced, sitting next to Orion.

"Have something in mind, Wally?" Cygnus teased.

"I was hoping someone else would have some suggestion," she said, crossing her arms.

"We could run through the forest," Dorea chimed and everyone laughed.

"We've all been in the forest before," Abraxas said. "That's not very exciting."

"Just because we've all done it doesn't mean it won't be fun," Cedrella said.

"I think we should do something we haven't done before," Wally said. "What is there that we haven't done?"

The group sat in quiet for a minute, all thinking and coming up with nothing.

"Well," Orion said after a few moments. "It's a beautiful day, we could go for a swim after breakfast?"

* * *

"Cedrella you just have to close your eyes and jump!" Peia called to her cousin who was standing at the top of a grassy cliff that hung over the lake.

Cedrella shook her head. "It's too far down!"

"Come on! We all jumped!" Orion yelled.

That didn't seem to reassure her at all, she sat down a few feet away from the edge, her knees drawn to her chest.

"I'll go up there," Peia said, swimming to the shore. When she got to the top of the cliff Cedrella was shaking. "What's wrong honey?"

"I don't like heights," she said, staring at her feet. "I'm afraid I'll get hurt."

Peia sat down next to her. "You won't get hurt, you watched the rest of us all jump and we were just fine."

Cedrella took a shaky breath. "I wish Septimus were here, I would feel better."

Peia smiled. "You should have invited him!"

"Invited a Gryffindor to hang out with a bunch of Slytherin's on the last day of school?" she looked at Peia skeptically.

"I suppose you're right," she laughed. "Come on, let's jump."

Cedrella shook her head but Peia grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"We can jump at the same time," Peia said.

"Don't let go of my hand," Cedrella warned.

And they jumped. When they came up for air Cedrella was grinning ear to ear.

"That was amazing!" she shouted and everyone cheered.

After swimming and playing around in the water for a few hours the group sat on the shore and ate a picnic lunch that the girls had gotten from the kitchens. Peia sat next to Abraxas, her legs thrown over his.

"I can't believe this is the last time we'll all be here together," Dorea said sadly. "You're all leaving us!"

"Aww come on, it's not like you'll never see us again," Orion said cheerfully, patting Dorea on her shoulder. "We're family, we aren't going anywhere."

"Not all of us are family, mate," Abraxas said. "Tom and I aren't."

Orion laughed. "Not yet, but I'm sure you will be one day."

Peia choked on her pumpkin juice, staring at Orion like he'd gone mad.

"I-I mean," he stuttered, realising what he had said. "We have a big family, loads of women."

* * *

"You look beautiful, darling," Melania gushed, hugging Peia tightly. "I am so proud of all three of you!"

She turned and hugged both the boys, holding tightly onto Orion's hand after he said she was choking him. Peia noticed her wipe a tear out of her eye and she was suddenly overwhelmed with affection for the woman who had acted as a surrogate mother to her when she needed one the most.

Peia hugged Melania again. "Thank you so much, for everything."

The older witch just smiled and nodded, Peia knew she was trying to hold back tears.

"Peia," a deep voice said behind her, she turned to see Abraxas standing there, a smile on his face. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Peia looked at her family, Melania smiled and told her to go, so she nodded and walked through the crowd with him. Since it was such a nice summer evening the crowd of graduates and their families had gathered outside to say their goodbyes.

Abraxas took her hand and led her to her favourite oak tree by the lake; he leaned against the tree and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I'm afraid I won't get to see you for a while," he said quietly and she took a steadying breath. She'd been dreading this conversation all day. "The date has been set for next month, I'm hoping that it will all be over soon."

She nodded and rested her head against his chest, not trusting her voice to speak. They stood in silence for a while, comforted by each other's presence before Abraxas cleared his throat to speak again.

"I have something for you," he said, pulling a box out of his pocket. "My mother gave them to me, they are a Yaxley family heirloom. She said she understood my love for you and that she hopes one day we'll be together again."

He opened the box and held it out to her. It was a beautifully delicate pair of large sapphire earrings set in white gold. She gasped.

"Abraxas they are beautiful, thank you," she said tearfully. With shaky fingers she gently took them out of the box and slipped them into her ears.

"They look beautiful on you," he said, cupping her cheek gently and leaning down to kiss her.

The world faded into the background as Peia reveled in his kiss; she never wanted to forget that moment. She knew that there would be hard times ahead of her and stopping Riddle from becoming Voldemort didn't seem so terrifying when she thought of how it would feel to watch the man she loved marry another woman.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay y'all, I am actually finished writing this story but I'll continue to post a new chapter twice a week as usual. I've decided that in leu of writing an epilogue I'm going to do a series of drabbles about their lives after this story ends. Most of them will be from Peia's pov, but some will be from others. Since itsMrsBlack asked about Peia's mom in one of her reviews, I'll do a chapter about her. Anything else that you may want cleared up or elaborated on I can do in the form of a drabble, y'all just have to let me know what you want! About this chapter, it's probably one of my favorites and it was a ton of fun to write, so I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did. **

**-Morrigan**

**I own nothing recognizable.**

"I think you should wear something less…erm…risqué than that," Wally said when Peia held up a dress. "You would look amazing in it, of course but this is your boyfriends wedding. I don't think it's appropriate for the mistress to upstage the bride."

Peia smacked her friend on the arm. "Wally! You can't just go around calling me his _mistress_!"

Wally snickered and held up a blue dress that matched the colour of her eyes perfectly. Peia grinned and nodded her approval.

"I mean," Wally began. "Technically that's what you are. Don't feel bad about it, embrace it!"

Peia snorted and held up an emerald green dress. "Too Slytherin?" Wally nodded and Peia put it back on the rack, sighing. "I can't find anything."

Wally pulled a floor length plum coloured dress with a high neckline. "I feel like this is more appropriate, no one will know you're his mistress if you dress modestly."

Peia let out a dry laugh and snatched the dress out of her friend's hands, stalking over to pay for it.

Walking out of the shop she grabbed Wally's wrist. "Do I really have to do this?"

Wally laced her fingers through Peia's and smiled. "It will be fine. I'll be there the whole time, just think of it as a party rather than a wedding."

"Right, because the last party Aline and I were both at went _so_ well."

Wally snorted. "That's true. But this time, you probably won't even have to speak to her. Offer her your congratulations when you see her, and then you and I are going to dance the night away. It will be fun!"

"I have to congratulate that bint? This couldn't get any worse."

* * *

Three days later Peia sat at a table in the ballroom at Malfoy Manor surrounded by her family and friends. Draco sat on one side of her and Riddle on the other, and right in front of her was a rather large glass of firewhiskey, compliments of Cygnus.

"You okay?" Riddle asked, arching a brow as she took a gulp of her drink.

She smirked at him and nodded. "Let's go dance," she held her hand out for him.

"Is it appropriate for others to dance during the bride and groom's first song?"

"I don't care what's appropriate today," she said looking at Abraxas and Aline on the dance floor. Abraxas's movements were stiff and he was clearly uncomfortable. "Besides, others have started to go up."

As she and Riddle made their way to the dance floor, half a dozen or so other couples had the same idea, and more were already dancing. She sighed in relief that they wouldn't be the only ones joining in.

Riddle took her hand and placed his other on her waist much higher than Abraxas would have and she smiled up at him as they started to dance.

"Thank you for making this a little easier for me," she said.

He smiled. "I honestly don't know how you're holding it together as well as you are. I know that if I had to watch the girl I loved marry another, I'd be a jealous mess."

"I am," she laughed. "I'm just good at hiding it."

The song ended but they kept dancing through the next and more couples joined them on the dance floor.

"I'm glad you made it, Tom," Peia said.

He smiled. "I am too, it's nice to see everyone since school ended. You're really the only person I've stayed in contact with."

"Really?" she arched a brow. She was sure he would be in contact with his followers.

He nodded. "You know you're the only real friend I've ever had."

She pursed her lips. "You have other friends, Tom."

He laughed and shook his head. "Nah, they don't really like me. They just sort of put up with me. But since you dropped from the sky Abraxas and Orion don't even do that."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to take them away from you."

He snorted. "It's better to have no friends than false friends, isn't it?"

She nodded and rested her cheek against his shoulder, looking at the other dancers when Abraxas caught her eye. He was still dancing with Aline, but he was staring at Peia, a frown on his face. She gave him a half smile that he didn't return.

An hour or so later the bride and groom were making their way through the tables, stopping at each to give their customary thanks to their guests. Peia's stomach dropped when she heard Abraxas's deep voice at the table behind her. She had managed to stay away from their hosts so far in the evening, but she knew she wouldn't be able to slip away this time.

"Ahh, Abraxas, et's your friends," Aline's shrill voice sent an unwelcome chill down Peia's spine.

"So it is," Abraxas said, standing between Peia and Draco, a hand on each of their shoulders. With his thumb he rubbed circles on her arm. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate with me and my _lovely_ bride," his voice was dripping with sarcasm and the Slytherin's all snickered.

"It es so good to see you all again," Aline said with fake sincerity, before leaning down to whisper in Peia's ear. "I am surprised you showed your face here, you better say goodbye to Abraxas, you won't be seeing 'im again."

Peia snorted. "You think you're going to stop him from going to Orion and Wally's wedding? That's not going to happen love."

Aline narrowed her eyes at Peia but said nothing, she stood and took Abraxas's arm. He looked at Peia for a split second and mouthed, "I'm sorry," the look on his face was enough to break her heart.

After Abraxas and Aline had walked away, Wally came around the table and grabbed Peia by the arm, hauling her to the dance floor where a more up-beat song was playing.

"We are going to dance like that night we got drunk and had a dance party in our dorm, remember?" Wally shouted over the music.

Peia laughed and nodded. "I just want to forget why I'm here!"

"Which is why," Cygnus said, coming up behind her. "I brought you a drink."

She turned and took the glass of firewhiskey from him, murmuring her thanks and smiling at the rest of the guys who had come to the dance floor with him. Wally grabbed her arm and swung her around to dance, the grin on her face was almost enough to make Peia forget, the firewhiskey would take care of the rest.

* * *

Three hours later the group of Slytherin's made their way to the fireplace in the Drawing Room at Malfoy Manor, all stumbling over their own feet and each other, red-faced and laughing.

"We should all crash at our house!" Cygnus declared loudly, Wally nodding fervently behind him.

The group was gathered in Wally's bedroom, passing around a bottle of firewhiskey, arguing about what game they should play.

"Never Have I Ever!" Peia giggled loudly, four faces stared blankly back at her.

Draco grinned. "Yes! It's a great Muggle game, you'll all love it."

"How do you play?" Wally asked skeptically.

"Well," Peia said, swaying slightly on the bed. "Everyone holds up their hands, and we go around in a circle, everyone takes a turn to say something that they have never done. Like I could say never have I ever ridden a horse, and whoever has ridden a horse would have to put one finger down. The object is to get everyone else to have to put a finger down. The last person with fingers up is the winner."

Still the four faces looked confused.

Draco laughed. "I promise it's fun. And usually as the game goes on it gets less innocent than riding horses. I'll start," he tapped his chin in mock thought. "Hmm. Never have I ever… dated a pureblood."

Three jaws drop, only Orion and Peia having previously known that about Draco. He grinned triumphantly as everyone except he and Tom put a finger down.

"Never have I ever," said Peia, looking around the room. "Raided the kitchens at Hogwarts."

Cygnus, Draco, and Orion all groaned and put a finger down. Peia turned to Riddle who was sitting next to her and grinned.

He smiled shyly back. "Never have I ever met my own mother."

Wally and Peia sighed; Peia put her hand on his arm comfortingly. Everyone but Tom put a finger down.

"Hmm," Cygnus said thoughtfully. "Never have I ever been in love."

The group laughed and four fingers went down.

Wally looked around at everyone's hands. "Since Tom seems to be winning," she said slyly. "Never have I ever kissed a girl."

"Dammit," Peia hissed, putting a finger down along with all the boys.

Tom arched a brow. "You've kissed a girl?"

Peia flushed. "It was a dare and we were drunk!"

Draco hooted with laughter. "I remember that night! Hermione said you were a good kisser."

Peia snorted. "I can't believe she told you that!"

Draco snickered and Orion sat a little straighter, looking at everyone's hands like Wally had done. He was losing, and Tom was still winning.

"Never have I ever," he began. "Been Head Boy."

Tom snorted and put a finger down, shaking his head and smiling.

"Never have I ever," Draco said, his eyes narrowing in on Tom. "Fancied anyone in this room."

Wally and Orion put a finger down immediately. Peia froze, feeling Tom's eyes on her, she looked up at him and very slowly she put a finger down. He smirked and lowered a finger; Peia ignored the look Wally was giving her.

Peia flushed when she realised it was her turn. "Never have I ever shagged a girl."

Cygnus blanched. "Of course you haven't, Peia. That doesn't even make sense."

The five older Slytherin's burst into laughter, Tom clasped Cygnus on the shoulder and said, "You have much to learn, young one." Peia laughed so hard tears filled her eyes. Four fingers went down.

Tom sat thoughtfully for a moment then looked at Peia with a smirk. "Never have I ever shagged a bloke."

Peia threw her head back laughing and put a finger down. Cygnus grumbled under his breath about blokes shagging blokes before he realised it was his turn again.

He smirked at his sister. "Never have I ever wanted to marry the person I'm betrothed to."

Wally and Orion both chuckled; sharing shy smiles they both put a finger down.

Peia looked around at everyone's hands; she had five fingers down, Tom, Cygnus, and Wally had four down, Orion was losing having only three fingers left up, and Draco was tied for first place with the other three.

Wally looked around, a smug look on her face. "Never have I ever had sex."

Peia laughed and put a finger down along with all the boys.

Orion groaned. "Babe, are you _trying_ to make me lose?"

Wally giggled, her face flushing from alcohol. Peia reached into the center of the circle, grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey and took a long pull. She loved the way it burned going down her throat.

"Never have I ever," Orion said. "Shagged in the girls Slytherin Dorms." He looked right at Peia and she knew; it was a battle between the two of them now. She smirked and put a finger down.

She remembered Wally had told her something about a Muggleborn girl in Ravenclaw that Orion fancied during fifth year but she wouldn't give him the time of day. She saw the opportunity to get Orion out and for Draco to lose another finger.

She smirked triumphantly. "Never have I ever fancied a Muggleborn."

Orion wailed in mock agony, throwing his hands over his face and lay down on the bed, laughing. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Cygnus slowly putting down a finger thinking no one was watching him.

"Oh, does Cyggy have a crush on a Muggleborn girl?" she teased and his face turned bright pink when everyone fell silent and looked at him.

"No!" he hissed. "I did last year for a while, same bird from Ravenclaw that Orion fancied."

Orion sat up, his mouth hanging open. "Did you shag Emily Jones?"

Cygnus's face turned even redder and Orion threw a pillow at his cousin. Laughing, Peia reached back into the middle of the circle to grab the bottle, but Tom grabbed it first.

He smirked at her. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she said and turned to Draco, but he was stone cold passed out, slumped over on his side. She sighed and slipped out of the room behind Tom.

There was a sitting room between Cygnus and Wally's bedrooms that Peia followed Tom into, she sat on the sofa while he used his wand to give them some light. When he was finished he sat down close to her, close but not uncomfortably so.

When he handed her the bottle she arched a brow and asked, "You wanted to talk?"

He smiled. "Just wondering how you're doing."

She laughed. "You couldn't have asked me that in the other room?"

"No, because you would have said that you were fine. And I know well enough that when a woman says she's fine she really isn't."

"Well Tom Riddle," she laughed and lightly smacked him on the arm. "I didn't know you were one to care so much about how a girl is feeling."

His smile faded a little. "I don't usually, just when it comes to you."

She sighed. "I'm doing better than I was," she took a pull of the bottle. "Thanks to my good friend firewhiskey."

Tom laughed and shifted a bit so he was facing her. "So how are things going to work with you and Malfoy now?"

Normally that was the kind of question that would have set of alarm bells in Peia's head, but after all the firewhiskey she had consumed that evening, her bells weren't working.

She sighed, leaning back on the sofa. "I don't know, honestly. I still love him, and I know he feels the same way. But he has to knock her up before he can divorce her."

Tom chuckled and when she looked up at him she could have sworn he was closer than he was just a moment ago. "What happens," he asked. "If he ends up falling in love with her, or doesn't want to break up his family?"

Her eyes widened. "That's not going to happen. He can't fall in love with her when he already loves me. Besides she's an abominable bitch and he could never love her." She knew that in her heart she believed her words to be true, but her head was telling her that any Malfoy was very unlikely to divorce.

Tom smiled and reached out to grab Peia's hand, she wasn't sure why she didn't snatch it away immediately. "Sometimes it amazes me the way you talk, and how much fire you have. You're so brazen about things, I don't know any other girls who talk about sex in such a cavalier way."

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she should be offended, a small voice that sounded a lot like her mother was saying, "Never let any man make you feel bad about sex, Cassiopeia. Your self worth isn't defined by the number of partners you've had or the way you feel about sex." She couldn't remember why her mum had said that to her, and the memory was gone before she could really think about it.

Tom was watching her with a sly smile. "I think you should be with a man who is actually available, you're too good to be Malfoy's mistress."

Peia arched a brow. "I'm _not_ his mistress, and I don't plan to be. I'm sure that in about ten months he will have his heir and he'll divorce her, just like he told me he would."

If Peia hadn't drank so much she would have realised that she sounded _exactly_ like a deluded mistress. If her brain weren't so clouded she would also have noticed that Tom was so close to her now that their thighs were touching, and he was still holding her hand.

"I'm sure you're right, Peia," he said condescendingly. "I'm sure he will tear his family apart, risk losing his inheritance just to be with you."

She blinked at him. "He won't lose his inheritance. I am a _Black,_ I come from a respectable pureblood family there is no way I could compromise his inheritance."

"Sure," he said, now just inches away from her face. "But I still think you could do better than _Malfoy_."

She was having a hard time breathing with him so close, but she managed to scoff at him. "And who do you suggest?"

He smirked and raised a brow. "Isn't that obvious?"

Before Peia could even think, Tom's lips were on hers. His kiss was urgent and forceful, not at all how a first kiss should be. One of his hands was cradling her head but the other was quickly sliding up her waist toward her breasts. At first she froze, her alcohol-blurred mind taking a few moments to catch up, and as soon as it did she started resisting him. He took her squirms as pleasure and held her tighter to him, trying to get his tongue in her mouth. She put her hands on his chest and pushed with all her strength, forcing him to stop.

Panting, she stood and moved a few shaky steps away from the couch. He looked up at her, anger etched in every line of his face.

"What the _hell_ was that about, Riddle?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

He arched an arrogant brow at her. "You know you wanted it, that you want _me_."

"No, I don't. I don't feel that way about you."

"Don't lie, Peia. You basically admitted that you fancy me when we were playing that game."

She snorted. "So that's what this is about? Well I meant that as past tense, Riddle. I don't fancy you anymore."

"She's with me Riddle," a deep voice sounded from the doorway, making both Peia and Riddle jump. She knew at once it was Abraxas and nearly ran into his arms. "You'll do well to remember that."

Peia narrowed her eyes at Riddle, who was still sitting on the sofa, just as relaxed as he had been the whole evening. Nothing stirred him. Abraxas had wrapped his arm around Peia's waist and turned, steering her away from the room, but stopped suddenly and looked over his shoulder back at Riddle.

"Oh, and Riddle? When a woman says she's not interested and just wants to be friends, she means it. Keep your hands off the woman I love."


	15. Chapter 15

**I don't have much to say, other than keep the reviews coming! They are basically my lifeblood. And I love you all intensely. **

**-Morrigan**

**I still don't own anything recognizable. **

* * *

Abraxas flooed Peia back to Grimmauld, and they climbed the stairs as quietly as possible, so as not to wake Melania and Arcturus. When they got to her room she cast strong silencing and locking spells before turning to Abraxas.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but what were you doing at Black Manor?" she said, sitting on her bed.

He sighed and sat next to her. "Isn't it obvious that I came to see you?" he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and she leaned into his touch. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No, I stopped it before it got that far. But aren't you supposed to be consummating your marriage?" she asked, nose wrinkled in disgust.

He wrinkled his nose too and she smiled. "Already done."

She arched a brow. "You're not usually so quick."

He snorted. "You think I wanted to drag it out? It was awful enough the few minutes it lasted. Then I sent her to her room."

Peia knew she shouldn't get any sort of pleasure from that, but she couldn't deny that it made her very happy. "Wait," she said, arching a brow. "She has her own room?"

He laughed. "I insisted. I said she needed her own bedroom because I kick in my sleep."

She joined in in his laughter, resting her head on his shoulder. "Today was rough," she whispered.

"For me as well. I didn't like seeing you dancing with Riddle."

She sighed. "I didn't like seeing you dancing with Aline, either."

"That's not fair," he said.

"I know. I'm sorry."

He kissed the top of her head. "You're very drunk."

She smiled. "Yes, yes I am."

They fell asleep above the covers and fully clothed that night, Abraxas's arm around her shoulders and her head on his chest.

* * *

When Peia woke the next morning she had the worst headache she had ever experienced in her life. She thought it felt like there were tiny men inside her head pounding at her scull with pickaxes. She groaned and sat up on her elbows. Someone had put a blanket over her at some point, and Abraxas was gone.

There was a note on the pillow.

_P_

_I miss you already; I wish I could have stayed until you woke up. I may have connected the fireplace in your room directly to the one in mine, I hope you don't mind. Every moment I have to spend away from you is pure agony._

_I love you._

_Eternally yours,_

_A_

She read over the note a dozen times before smiling and holding it to her heart. She sat up and noticed a small bottle of purple liquid on her nightstand with another little note attached to it.

_For your head._

Was all it said in Abraxas's handwriting and she smiled at his thoughtful ness. She uncorked the potion and downed it in one swallow. It tasted like grape.

Suddenly the events of the night before came flooding back to her. The wedding, the game, and Riddle kissing her in the sitting room. She felt dizzy, and it wasn't from the hangover. She pressed her cool palm to her forehead and tried to remember how to breathe.

Peia felt like she was on the verge of some sort of breakdown, and there was only one person she wanted to see.

"Draco?" she hissed, cracking his bedroom door open after sneaking as quietly as possible up the stairs. "Are you awake?"

No response, not even a stir. She opened the door slowly and could see his white-blond hair peeking over the mess of blankets. After closing the door as quietly as she could, she padded across the room to the bed and slipped under the covers next to her brother.

"Draco?" she whispered again, sniffing a tear back.

He groaned and rolled over on the huge bed, his eyes fluttered half-open and they were more bloodshot than she'd ever seen them before. "Peia? What's wrong?"

"Had a really bad night and needed to talk to you," she sniffed again, hastily wiping a tear off her cheek.

His expression softened immediately. "What happened?"

She sighed and absently picked at her nails. "After you passed out Riddle said he wanted to talk to me so we went into the sitting room and we talked. Then he kissed me."

She looked up at him and noticed his jaw twitching, a sure sign that he was angry.

"Did you want him to kiss you?" he asked through clenched teeth,

Her eyes widened. "Of course not! I pushed him away and yelled at him, and then Abraxas showed up and he told Riddle to leave me alone." Her eyes filled with tears again. "I-I'm s-sorry that I-I messed things up!"

He sighed and grabbed her hand. "Peia, you didn't do anything wrong. Riddle is a bastard; we've always known that. I swear to Merlin if he ever touches you again, I'll kill him with my bare hands, Horcruxes be damned."

"I never got close enough to him to get the ring or the diary," she sniffed. "I didn't do what I was supposed to!"

He smiled and tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear. "We will figure it out. There is nothing in this world more important to me than you, Peia. You are my family. You are my sister. You will always come first, do you understand?"

She smiled shakily and nodded. "Same goes for you big bro."

He finally smiled and let out a short laugh. "We will figure out a way to get rid of those Horcruxes. We have all the time in the world. Orion and I came up with a plan to get Hufflepuff's Cup from old Hepzibah Smith before Riddle can get to her. That should be enough to keep him from creating another until we come up with a plan to get the two he's already made."

She laughed. "Look at you, making all the life saving plans."

He snorted. "Well someone has to with you all googily-eyed over my grandfather."

Peia blushed. "Does it still bother you?"

"Honestly it doesn't," he said. "It did at first of course, but I've never seen another bloke treat you as well as he does, not even Potter."

She closed her eyes and inhaled.

"Sorry," he said and she knew he was grimacing. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No," she said, looking him in the eye. "I think I needed to hear that. With Harry our relationship was all secrets and lies. Maybe it wouldn't have been that way if the war hadn't been going on, but it wasn't healthy. Part of me will always love Harry, but I'm moving on."

The left corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile, as it usually did. "Want to know a secret?"

She arched a brow. "Of course."

"I might have a date with Emily Jones next weekend."

Peia's jaw dropped open. "Emily Jones as in the bird who Orion used to fancy? The same bird that Cygnus lost his virginity to?"

Draco groaned. "The very same Emily Jones."

Peia hooted with laughter and stared at the ceiling. "That is fantastic."

He snorted. "How is that?"

She turned to him, eyes wide. "Well I've been worried that you wouldn't be able to move on, to be happy here."

The left corner of his mouth twitched up. "Let's just say that my little sister inspired me to embrace life here. And lets face it, Emily is _gorgeous_."

She smiled. "She's no Hermione, but yeah, she's pretty."

His half smile faded a bit and his eyes looked a bit misty. "Isn't it strange that the next time we see them, they'll be going to Hogwarts with our grandchildren?"

"Merlin," Peia groaned. "I never thought about it that way. Maybe we should just run away to America after we off Riddle."

Draco laughed. "Nah, I'd rather stay and watch myself fall in love with her all over again, you know?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"How are we going to keep our own children and grandchildren from not messing up other people's timelines?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't think we can, Peia. I don't think much of anything will be the same as when we left."

"Well," she considered his words. "Just as long as one of my grandson's doesn't try to date the future me, everything will be fine."

* * *

"Peia?" Wally hesitated, squinting at her friend over her teacup.

"Hmm?"

Wally had asked Peia over for lunch two weeks after the Malfoy wedding, they were waiting in Wally's sitting room for one of the House Elves to bring their food.

"I have to ask you something."

"Well spit it out then," Peia grinned. "Don't be shy."

Wally bit her lip. "Will you be my Maid of Honour?"

Peia gasped then launched herself across the couch, practically choking Wally in a hug.

"Yes!" Peia cried, half shouting. She let go of Wally, but grabbed her hand and squeezed, grinning. "Of course I will! I can't believe you want _me_!"

Wally furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't I? I know we haven't known each other that long, but I never really had a best friend until you came here."

Peia's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so glad I got to know you, Wally. I had a best friend before, at home, but she didn't _get_ me the way you do."

Wally grinned. "Sometimes it's like we're sisters or something."

"Or something," Peia breathed.

* * *

The night before Wally and Orion's wedding, Peia couldn't sleep. She had spent the last several hours thinking about her new life, she and Draco had been so wrapped up in their task that they hadn't really had time to even think about starting real lives. They were still staying with Arcturus and Melania and neither had any real plans of finding a job anytime soon.

In her time she thought she would probably get a job at the Ministry, work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or perhaps even the Auror Department. In this time though, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life chasing after Dark wizards. She wanted to stop Riddle from becoming Voldemort and then never have to do it again.

Before she went to bed she asked Lucretia about Healer training, and the petite blonde lit up, talking about her experiences and how wonderful working at Mungos was. She decided to keep it in the back of her mind as a potential career.

Just as she was starting to fade to sleep her floo roared to life and Abraxas stepped through the fireplace.

She jumped up and threw herself into his arms. "I've missed you," she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in _weeks_!"

He half smiled, there were dark circles under his eyes. "I've missed you too, I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit."

She shook her head and led him to the bed. "I understand. Is everything okay?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Aline is pregnant."

Peia felt her stomach drop. "Th-that's good."

Slowly he opened his eyes and peered into hers, she got that familiar feeling that he could see into her soul.

"I can't stand it, Peia. I hate her so much. She complains all the time, she yells at me constantly over nothing! I don't know if I can endure her for another seven months."

Peia's eyes widened. "Seven months? So she's already two months along!" she hissed.

He grimaced. "She'd been keeping it a secret from me. I didn't know until a few days ago."

Peia scoffed. "Probably just so you would keep sleeping with her."

His eyes softened and he took her hand. "Hey," he said, turning her chin towards him. "You know I would never have touched her if the bond wasn't in place."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just that every time I close my eyes I see you with her. Kissing her, touching her."

He wrinkled his nose. "I have only kissed her once, and that was at our wedding."

She arched a brow. "Really? So it's like a wham bam thank you ma'am sort of thing?"

He coughed. "What does that even mean?"

"It's a Muggle saying from the future," she laughed. "It just means that you get in and out of there quickly, no messing around with foreplay or cuddling after."

He snorted. "I suppose it is, then. And I always have to think about you."

"Excuse me?" she arched a brow.

"Did you honestly think that I could keep it up if I didn't?" he laughed.

"Ahh," she said. "I'm not sure if I should feel honoured or creeped out by that."

He smiled. "Honoured, definitely."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Big day tomorrow, can we go to sleep now?"

"That's actually why I came, I figured you wouldn't be able to sleep."

"And that is why I love you, Abraxas Malfoy."

* * *

"So where is your new wife, Abraxas?" Arcturus asked, shaking Abraxas's hand.

Peia blushed, standing behind Arcturus.

"She wasn't feeling well so she stayed home," Abraxas said.

"Ahh," said Arcturus. "That'll happen a lot in the next few months, I'm afraid," Abraxas nodded stiffly and Arcturus laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Since the missus isn't here be sure to save at least one dance for my niece."

"Yes sir," Abraxas said, relaxing a bit as Arcturus walked away to talk to other family members.

"Sorry," Peia said, nudging his foot with her slipper. "He can be a bit much to handle sometimes."

Abraxas smiled. "I'm just glad he doesn't hate me."

"He knows that I love you," she laughed. "That's good enough for him," she looked around at all the family she was supposed to be mingling with. "I have to go, they want me to meet the rest of the family."

"Go," he winked. "Save that dance for me."

She smiled and walked to where Melania was standing; talking to an older couple Peia didn't know. They had to be careful who they introduced Peia and Draco to that night, there weren't many people who kept close track of the family tree, but it wouldn't be easy to fool everyone.

Melania turned when she noticed Peia, a big smile on her face. "Peia I want you to meet someone," she pulled Peia to her side and turned to the couple. "This is our niece, Peia." The man didn't seem to hear Melania, he just stared blankly at Peia, the woman on the other hand, seemed to be scrutinizing her. "Sweetheart this is Arcturus's aunt and uncle, Arcturus and Lysandra."

"Very nice to meet you," Peia said, smiling at her great-great aunt and uncle. "You must be Cedrella's parents. She's a lovely girl."

"Yes, she is," Lysandra said, puckering her lips. She turned to her husband. "Did you know of any relatives living in America?"

Peia's eyes widened and Melania's grip on Peia's arm tightened.

"No," he said curtly. "But that doesn't mean there weren't any, dear. I have a very large family."

Melania suddenly started waving at someone across the room. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but there is someone else I _must_ introduce Peia to, thank you so much for coming."

The two witches practically sprinted across the ballroom. When they stopped, Peia arched her brow at the older witch.

"That was close," she laughed. "Was there actually someone over here you wanted to introduce me to?"

Melania smiled. "No, I knew it would be difficult to introduce you to many people tonight. It's obvious that you are a Black, but not having a father to pin you on is proving rather difficult."

Peia snorted. "This is going to be a stressful night."

* * *

An hour later Peia had just given her Maid of Honour speech and was watching her grandparents dance to their first song as husband and wife. It amazed her that in the last ten months Wally and Orion went from being not entirely sure about each other, to madly in love. She thought it was a beautiful thing.

It had been nearly a year since she and Draco had arrived in the 1940's, and they hadn't accomplished as much as she had hoped. They had stopped Riddle from getting the Diadem and making it into a Horcrux, but they couldn't be sure if he had used a different object or not. She seriously hoped he hadn't.

She also had very little hope that Riddle would be able to put his soul back together by feeling remorse. As reluctant as she had been, she now agreed with Draco, there was no redemption for Riddle.

"The Maid of Honour looks like she needs a bit of cheering up," Draco said, smiling at her from a few seats away. "Dance with me?"

She laughed. "Only because you're the Best Man."

Peia took Draco's hand and he led her to the dance floor.

"So how are you holding up?" he asked.

She furrowed her brow. "With what?"

He rolled his eyes. "The baby news."

"Oh," she sighed. "That. I mean, it's good news, it means Lucius will be here soon."

"And that Aline will be out of your hair too."

"Draco," she said, looking him dead in the eye. "I know she's your grandmother and I don't want her to die because I think it would have been great for your father to have grown up with his mother. But I can't deny that there is a huge part of me that just wants Abraxas to myself."

He pursed his lips. "I understand that, Peia, I really do. It's just frustrating knowing how big of a bitch she is."

Peia snorted and rested her head on his chest. "I love you, Draco. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd spill all your secrets and drive yourself mad," she could practically feel the smirk in his voice.

Everyone cleared the floor for the next song, which Wally danced to with her father, Pollux. After a few moments Arcturus and Lucretia joined them, and then a few other father/daughter pairs.

"Would people think it was strange if I asked you to dance?" Orion asked, grinning.

Peia laughed. "With that many people on the dance floor I don't think anyone would even notice."

After dancing a while in silence Orion turned to look at Peia. "You've seemed pretty reserved today, is everything alright?"

She smiled. "Of course, I'm just thinking about different things."

"Would your boyfriend be one of those things?"

She nodded. "Him, and the Horcruxes. I'm starting to worry that we won't accomplish what we came here for."

He sighed. "You worry too much, Peia. We have two of the objects already and I don't think he's made anymore. We would have heard about suspicious deaths."

She shook her head. "Not if it was a Muggle in another country. We shouldn't talk about this tonight, especially not with him present. It's your wedding, we should be celebrating!"

He smiled and spun her around.

* * *

A few hours later most of the 'adults' had left; it was just Peia, her friends and their dates. She was dancing with Wally, Cedrella, Dorea, and Druella while the boys sat at a table, nursing their firewhiskey.

When the song ended the girls made their way back to the table, Peia sat on Abraxas's lap and kissed him. He tasted like firewhiskey and cigars.

"Isn't he married to some other bird?" Septimus Weasley asked, louder than he probably intended. All the Slytherins laughed.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Weasley?" Abraxas sneered.

Peia sighed and looked at Draco, who had the same look on his face as his grandfather. Some things never change, Weasley's and Malfoy's will probably always hate each other.

Septimus narrowed his eyes, his face turning red. "I think it is my business when you're doing it right in front of me."

Cedrella put her hand on his arm and Charlus Potter gave him a look that Peia had seen Harry give Ron way too many times. She smiled at the familiarity of the situation.

"Who invited two Gryffindor's to a Slytherin wedding, anyway?" Cygnus chimed in, pouring Peia a drink.

Cedrella and Dorea turned pink.

"Cyg," Wally said. "It's fine that they're here. And it's fine that Peia is kissing Abraxas. Everything is fine. It's my wedding and there will be no fighting!"

Peia laughed. "I agree! Tonight is about Wally and Orion!"

Peia could feel Riddle's eyes on her the entire night but she had refused to look at him, which had been easy when they weren't sitting directly across a table from each other. Now that they were, she was finding it nearly impossible not to look at him.

She grabbed Abraxas's hand and leapt out of his lap. "You promised that you would dance with me!"

"We danced earlier," he grinned.

"I know, but I want to dance again."

* * *

At the end of the night the group had gotten smaller, all that was left was Wally and Orion, Abraxas and Peia, Draco and Emily, Cygnus, and Riddle.

Peia jokingly suggested they do body shots, eliciting blank stares from everyone but Draco, who was doubled over with laughter.

"They're both kind of strange, aren't they?" Emily said, causing the rest of the group, minus Riddle, to laugh.

"That's why we love 'em," Cygnus hiccupping and clapping Draco on the shoulder. "Imma go to bed. Night," he walked away, a half full glass of firewhiskey sloshing over his shoes.

Abraxas laughed. "I think I should do the same, Peia?"

"Ow ow!" Wally cat called and Peia rolled her eyes.

She turned to Abraxas and nodded before jumping up to hug Wally and Orion.

"I'm so happy for you," she whispered to Wally who just beamed at her and squeezed a little tighter.

She threw her arms around Orion's neck. "Congratulations, Gramps."

He chuckled into her ear. "Thanks kid. Go have fun with your boyfriend."

She snorted and he kissed her on the top of her head.

"I'll see you next week," he said, winking at her.

* * *

When they got to the hallway, Peia heard footsteps behind them but didn't turn around to see who it was; she knew it had to be Riddle.

"Peia!" he said. "Can I talk to you?"

Abraxas whipped around, holding Peia behind him. "No, you absolutely cannot talk to her."

She peaked around him and saw Riddle staring him straight in the eye, furious.

"Sod off, Riddle," Draco hissed.

Riddle sneered at him. "This is none of your business, blondie."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Peia is my sister, and you hurt her. It is definitely my business," his voice was dangerously low, and Peia knew that no matter how powerful Riddle was, he was no a match for two very pissed off Malfoys.

Riddle scoffed. "I didn't _hurt_ her, I kissed her."

"I didn't want you to kiss me!" Peia shrieked, reaching for her wand and realising she didn't have it.

Draco stepped forward, wand in hand. "If you ever touch my sister again, Riddle, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Riddle raised a brow. "I didn't come here to kiss her again, I came to apologise. I clearly misread things that night."

Abraxas narrowed his eyes. "Well you can fuck off, Riddle."

Peia put her hand on Abraxas's arm and stepped out from behind him. "Thank you for apologising."

She grabbed Abraxas's hand and Draco's arm, turning she hauled the boys to the drawing room to use the floo.

* * *

She flooed to Grimmauld Place behind Draco, with Abraxas following her. Draco had raised a brow when Peia said that Abraxas was coming with them, but he didn't say anything. The three of them quietly climbed the stairs, saying goodnight when Peia and Abraxas reached her door.

"Be safe kids," Draco teased before walking up to his room.

Peia rolled her eyes. "He is such an ass sometimes."

Abraxas snorted and followed her into her bedroom. She had been itching to get out of her dress, a floor length emerald green number that was very, very fitted.

"You look amazing tonight," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Don't I always?" she teased, wiggling around so she was facing him.

He grinned. "Obviously."

"Help me get out of this dress?"

"With pleasure," he smirked.

She frowned. "We aren't going to have sex, Abraxas."

His face fell. "Oh come on, P. You're still going to hold out on me?"

"People are already looking at me like I'm a whore," she sighed. "I don't want them to be right."

His face turned stony. "You are not a whore, do you hear me? I won't touch you until you say that it's okay, but I won't have you thinking you're a whore either. Even if we had sex tonight it wouldn't make you one. Peia, you're the love of my life."

She nodded slightly and laid her head on his chest so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. This whole situation was harder on her than she would ever admit, especially to him; she knew that it was worse for him.

"Can we just go to sleep?" she asked.

"Of course we can."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So there is sort of an awkward time jump in the middle of this chapter, but I didn't want to cut it into two really short chapters! I'm sorry if it's confusing :/ There are actually only about two chapters after this! However, I might add one more in between the two for a little more continuity. As always, read and review!**

**-Morrigan**

**I own nothing recognizable**

* * *

"I think we should pay a visit to Hepzibah Smith this week," Draco said without looking up from his book.

Peia dropped her book on the table and arched a brow at him. "Without Orion?"

Draco smirked. "He's on his honeymoon, I say we give him a break."

"I don't know," she said, tapping her chin. "I don't think we really need to get the cup anyway. Since Hepzibah didn't go into Borgin and Burke's to buy the locket, Riddle won't know she has other valuable stuff."

He sighed and looked up at her through his lashes. "I would still feel better if we had it."

"Fine," she said. "When do you want to go?"

* * *

Two hours later Peia and Draco were walking down the path leading to Hepzibah Smith's front door. Just as Draco reached up to the doorknocker, Peia grabbed his other wrist.

"What if she won't give it to us?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Then we take it and wipe her memory. She can have it back once all of this is over."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't like the idea of stealing and taking away someone's memory."

Draco turned and grabbed Peia by the shoulders. "Peia listen to me. We came here to save the future, to save our families and everyone else we care about. Nothing is more important than that, not even someone's memory."

She shook her head. "I still don't like it."

He sighed. "How do you think we got the locket from Borgin and Burkes?"

She furrowed her brow and shrugged her shoulders.

"We took it, and wiped their memories of ever having the thing. We can't afford any lose ends in this. Nothing is more important than getting these items right now."

Suddenly he let go of Peia and knocked three times on the door.

The door creaked open a few inches and a long wrinkly nose that undoubtedly belonged to a house elf poked out, followed by a pair of enormous green eyes.

"Can I help yous?" the house elf squeaked.

"Yes," Draco said curtly. "We are here to see Missus Smith."

"Who is it Hokey?" a voice called that sounded too much like Umbridge for Peia's liking.

The house elf called Hokey narrowed her eyes at the visitors.

"Draco and Cassiopeia Black, ma'am," Draco said. "Caracataus Burke sent us."

There was a pause before the sickly sweet voice said, "Let them in Hokey!"

The old house elf led them to a sitting room where Hepzibah Smith sat, clutching a teacup with pudgy fingers. She was wearing so much pink that she could put Umbridge to shame

"Has Burke sent you to sell or buy?" the old woman asked as soon as Draco and Peia sat down.

Draco smiled such a sweet smile Peia thought for sure he was someone else under Polyjuice. "Actually, ma'am, he told us that you have some very interesting items that we might want to see. We're not here to buy, not unless the price is right of course." He winked at the old woman and Peia fought the urge to gag.

Hepzibah fluttered her eyelashes and smiled. "I have many interesting things, of course. You know, I am the descendant of Helga Hufflepuff herself!" She beamed at the blondes proudly.

Peia smiled. "That is very impressive, ma'am."

"What did you say your names were? Forgive an old woman her hearing problems," she chuckled.

"Draco and Cassiopeia Black, ma'am," Draco said, the same fake smile on his lips.

Hepzibah considered this for a moment, looking the two up and down. "You must be Regulus's, the resemblance is uncanny."

Peia's eyes widened. Regulus was the name of her uncle, but she knew that it was also the name of Arcturus's brother, who was neither married nor did he have any children.

Draco chuckled. "You've found us out, ma'am," he winked at her. "I'm sure you won't mind keeping that between us three. Dear old dad doesn't want it getting out."

The old witch beamed at Draco. "Of course dear! Your secret is safe with me!"

Peia blinked at Draco, she didn't know he could act so well. Hokey came back into the sitting room, carrying a heavy tea tray in her shaky arms. Peia smiled and thanked the old elf when she offered her a cup.

"Hokey," Hepzibah said. "Bring out Hufflepuff's cup for me. I want to show it to these two dears."

Hokey bowed deeply and slipped out the door. Hepzibah grinned toothily at Draco.

"It is my most prized possession! I have been looking for other items that belonged to the four founders for years now. I had heard that a locket that belonged to Slytherin was at Borgin and Burkes, but when I inquired Burke told me he had never seen such an item."

Peia nudged Draco softly in the ribs, and out of the corner of her eye she saw his mouth turn up in a smirk. Hepzibah didn't notice as she was distracted by Hokey who had just walked back into the room, carrying a wooden box. She handed it to her mistress who opened it and held it towards Peia and Draco.

Inside the box was a small gold cup, Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Peia sighed in relief.

"Ma'am," Draco said sweetly. "May I hold it?"

Hepzibah hesitated but gave in when Draco smiled at her. "Oh go on then, but be careful boy!"

Draco crossed the small sitting room and carefully took the cup out of the box. Winking at Peia he drew his wand and pointed it at Hepzibah. The old woman gasped. Peia jumped off the sofa, wand out and trained on Hokey.

"We're terribly sorry to have to do this, ma'am, but we have to take the cup," Draco said, sweet as ever.

"No!" Hepzibah shouted. "I-I won't let you!" the old woman fumbled around in her hideously pink robes for her wand, but Draco took a step closer, his wand at her throat.

"I don't want to hurt you, so please don't do anything stupid," he said. "My sister and I are here on a very important mission, and we need Hufflepuff's cup to be able to accomplish what we came to do. When it's all over, we will return it to you."

"Draco!" Peia hissed. "What are you waiting for? Just obliviate her!"

"No," whimpered the old woman, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sorry ma'am," Draco said, raising his wand. "Obliviate."

Peia watched as the old woman seemed to fall asleep. She arched a brow at Draco.

"That might have been a bit stronger than needed," he said, looking at the old house elf. "You do Hokey."

Peia turned back to the house elf, who looked terrified. "Obliviate."

* * *

_Peia-_

_ I was hoping you would meet me this Thursday at The Leaky Cauldron for lunch at noon. I wouldn't blame you if you refused, but I would really like the chance to clear the air between us and possibly get on the track to being friends again. Let me know._

_-Tom_

Peia had gotten the note from Riddle on a Monday, and everyone spent the next three days trying to convince her not to go. Draco told her she wasn't allowed to go, which just made her laugh. Orion told her it wasn't safe, but she insisted it was since they would be in a public place and this time she would be on her guard.

Melania and Arcturus said they would feel better if she stayed home or brought her brother with her. She knew taking Draco along wasn't a good idea. Wally was the only person who didn't tell her not to go, just told her to be careful.

Abraxas begged her not to go, but in the end just told her to be careful and to floo him as soon as she got home.

It wasn't the first time he had tried to reach out to her, she had gotten letters nearly twice a week for two months after Wally and Orion's wedding, then it slowed down to one every fortnight or so. Before this letter arrived via tawny owl, Peia hadn't heard from Riddle in a little over a month. She had to admit that it was the only reason she was going to go, she was curious. Riddle had never struck her as the type of bloke to give up. Maybe he had met someone else and she hoped that was the case because she couldn't stand knowing that he wasn't over her.

* * *

Walking into The Leaky Cauldron that Thursday, she felt knots in her stomach and wished that someone were there with her. She saw Riddle in a corner booth with his back to the door. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards him.

"Hello Tom," she said, sliding into the booth.

He smiled. "Peia," he said. "How have you been?"

She sighed. "It's been a long six months, to be honest. But I've been all right. What about you?"

"I've been fine, sort of lonely."

"Still working at the shop?"

He nodded. "I want to find something more permanent, but I don't know if I want to work for the ministry."

She snorted. "I'm in the same boat. I always thought I'd work for the ministry, but it's not as appealing as it used to be. The last thing I want to be doing is fighting off dark wizards."

"You could be a healer, I think you would be great at that."

"Actually," she said, smiling. "I was thinking about that. My cousin Lucretia just finished her training and she said she could pull some strings to get me into the program."

He grinned. "I think that would be brilliant."

* * *

After lunch, Peia said goodbye to Riddle, who had to go back to work and she decided to wander around the shops a bit, since she hadn't spent much time in Diagon Alley in the last few months.

It had been six months since Wally and Orion got married, and she was still stuck in the same rut she had been in before the wedding.

The worst part of it all was that Aline had had a miscarriage. Which Peia thought was very tragic, not only because it meant she had to continue to wait to be with Abraxas, but also because Aline wasn't taking it very well. She had apparently stopped eating and wouldn't speak for nearly a week afterwards. Now she was taking it out on Abraxas, yelling at him constantly and insisting on accompanying him nearly everywhere.

So as Peia stepped out of Flourish and Blotts, she wasn't surprised to see the long silvery hair that could only belong to Aline walking next to the tall form of Abraxas. She was relieved to see that they were headed to Madam Malkins, so she wouldn't run into them when she slipped into Gringotts.

She had completely forgotten about having seen the Malfoy's as she bounded down the marble steps outside the wizarding bank when she heard that awful French accent calling her name.

"Cassiopeia!" Aline called from the bottom of the steps, Abraxas standing dutifully by her side with a look of sheer horror on his face. "How good et es to see you."

Peia blinked at her a few times when she reached the last step. "You too, Aline, Abraxas," she nodded at him but didn't look up at his face. "I haven't seen you since your wedding."

Aline pouted. "I am sure you 'ave 'eard about our recent tragedy."

"Oh," Peia said, unsure of how she should react. "Yes, I am so sorry Aline."

The French girl nodded her head sadly. "Et was 'orrible, but we are moving on, togezzer."

Peia nodded awkwardly. "I suppose I should get going, I need to stop by St. Mungo's before I go home."

"Is everything alright?" Abraxas asked, arching a brow.

Peia finally looked up at him and her heart sank at the concern in his eyes. "Yes, everything is fine, I just wanted to talk to Lucretia about the healer program. She had said she could pull some strings to get me in."

Relief instantly flooded his handsome features and he gave her a half smile. "That's great, Peia. You'd make a wonderful healer."

Aline scoffed. "A woman should not be working, 'er place es at 'ome with ze children."

Abraxas stiffened and Peia arched her brow. "This isn't the middle ages, Aline. It's perfectly acceptable for a woman to have a job. And in case you haven't noticed I'm not married, so no kids to take care of."

Abraxas snorted. "We should let you get going, Peia. It was great to see you."

He winked at her and she smirked back before he steered his wife away.

* * *

When she got home two hours later, she could hear laughter coming from the kitchen, so she walked down the stairs to see who was there. She found Melania, Wally, Orion, Draco, and Emily sitting at the table, having tea.

She arched a brow at her family. "Since when do we gather in the kitchen for social calls?"

Melania turned and smiled at her. "Come and sit, the tea is still hot. We were just talking about you, actually."

Peia laughed and reached for a cup, sitting next to Wally. "All good things, I hope."

"We were just wondering how your date with Riddle went," Draco teased and she kicked him under the table.

"It wasn't a _date_, Draco. It was just lunch with a friend."

"And you're sure he knew that?" Orion asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Wally snorted. "Of course he knew! He's the one who invited her!"

"So how did it go?" Draco persisted.

Peia sighed. "It was fine, we talked and cleared things up. He said he want's a second chance at being friends. And then I ran into Abraxas and Aline when I was coming out of Gringotts."

Wally gasped. "What happened?"

"Nothing really," Peia said, sipping her tea. "Aline brought up the miscarriage, which was really awkward."

Draco shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. "You got home pretty late for just running to the bank after lunch."

Peia arched a brow. "What are you, my mother? I went to see Lucretia at Mungos about getting into the Healer program, actually."

Melania squealed. "What did they say?"

Peia grinned. "I spoke with the director, and he looked over my N.E.W.T. scores. I start next week!"

Both Wally and Melania jumped up to hug Peia, while Draco and Orion whooped and Emily offered her congratulations.

They spent the next hour catching up before Orion and Wally had to get home, while Draco and Emily were off to have dinner with her family. Peia helped Melania clean up before making her way up to her bedroom.

Once she was inside she walked straight over to the fireplace, threw a handful of floo powder inside, stuck her head into the green flames and said "Abraxas Malfoy's bedroom, Malfoy Manor."

"Abraxas?" she called when the room slid into focus. "Are you here?"

"Peia?" he said, walking into view. "Floo over."

When she stepped through, she flung herself into Abraxas's arms.

"What's wrong?" he crooned, running his hand down her hair. "What happened?"

She sniffled and looked up at him through her tears. "I start the Healer program next week."

He laughed. "I expected you to be happy about that."

"I am," she said. "I just wanted to say that before I told you why I'm crying."

"Ahh," he said, guiding her to the bed to sit. "I'm guessing it's to do with our encounter today in Diagon Alley?"

She nodded. "Is she even going with you to work now? How do you ever have any time away from her?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The only time I have away from her is usually at night now, because I still won't allow her to sleep with me. She's napping at the moment, actually that's the only reason I was in here."

"I was talking to Draco this morning, and I asked him what year his father was born—"

"Peia don't," Abraxas put his finger on her lips, silencing her. "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. I don't want any bad news. Please."

She nodded. "But I know, and I'll know exactly how long it will be before we can be together again."

He sighed. "We can be together, love. You are just being stubborn."

She slumped her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't mean together in _that_ way, Abraxas. I mean when we can see each other every day, sleep in the same bed at night. Not have to sneak around to share a moment of alone time."

"I know," he kissed her forehead. "It's just the best we can do right now, you know I would change the situation if I could."

She nodded. "I know, and it's not your fault, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Until it's true," he said, smirking. He hooked his finger under her chin, tilting her lips to meet his.

As it always did, the world seemed to melt away with Abraxas's kiss and she knew that tonight she wouldn't be able to hold out, that she would give in to her desires. It had been so long that she was past the point of caring. All she wanted was to be with Abraxas in anyway possible, so if that meant sleeping with a married man, then that's what she would do. She could feel guilty about it in the morning.


	17. Chapter 17

**Second to last chapter! (the very last one will be pretty short) and I already have quite a few drabbles written for my epilogue thingy! I'm hoping to get the last chapter up before Christmas! Anyway, read and review my lovelies!**

**-Morrigan**

**I own nothing recognizable.**

* * *

"Blue or orange?" Peia asked, holding up two throw pillows.

Tom wrinkled his nose in distaste. "What about green?"

Peia sighed. "Everything in your new flat can't be_ green_, Tom."

"And why not?" he asked, arching a brow at her and tossing a green pillow in her direction.

She rolled her eyes and put the three pillows back down. "Because your old flat was all green. You need to branch out a bit."

"What does it matter anyway, I'm the only one who lives there," he said impatiently.

She grinned. "For now! What happens if you get a girlfriend in a few months and she comes over all the time and she absolutely _despises_ the colour green?"

He rolled his eyes. "That's not going to happen, Peia."

She reached down to pick up another set of pillows, this time silver and black. "You never know," she teased, not noticing the look of longing in his eyes as he gazed at her.

He snorted. "It's been two years since we graduated and I haven't had a girlfriend. I really don't see that changing."

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, carrying two sets of the black and silver pillows up to the register. Peia didn't say anything until the pair had apparated back to Tom's new flat and she had put the pillows on his new leather sofa.

"You haven't had a girlfriend because you haven't tried to meet anyone. You need to put yourself out there."

Tom laughed quietly. "I'm just not really interested in dating, Peia."

"So you're content with just shagging random girls for the rest of your life?" she arched a brow at him.

He sighed and sat down on the sofa. "No," he said quietly. "But it will have to do since I can't have the woman I want."

Peia froze. Over the last year they had kept getting into situations like that, where he would allude to the fact that he still had feelings for her and she would pretend not to hear him. She took a deep breath and walked to the couch, sitting as far away as she could from Tom without being too obvious.

"Tom, look—"

"No, Peia," he cut her off, holding his hand up. "I get it, okay? I'm not trying to be a downer or anything and I know you love him. I just wish things were different, you know?"

Peia sighed. "I understand that feeling quite well."

"When he hurts you," he said quietly, staring straight into her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, I know he will someday. I'll be here for you when he does. I'll always be here for you when you need me."

When Peia left Tom's flat that night, she couldn't shake the feeling that her friend's words meant something different than how they seemed. She felt like he was biding his time, waiting for the right moment to swoop in and steal her away. She knew Tom Riddle was dangerous, but she was beginning to forget just how dangerous he was.

* * *

Peia rushed down the corridor with three charts in her hand to the medi-witch station. Her last consultation had taken longer than usual, so now she was late. She came to a skidding stop in front of the desk, shoving the charts into the hands of one of her favourite medi-witches.

"I'm sorry! Can you update these for me? I have to go! I'm late!" she begged, offering her best puppy dog eyes.

The medi-witch sighed and rolled her eyes. "Only because you're my favourite, but don't tell anyone else, I don't do favours!"

Peia beamed at the older witch. "Thank you, you are the best!"

She scurried off to the locker room to quickly change out of her Healer robes before running to the staff floo. She stumbled through the fireplace at Wally and Orion's flat, almost tripping when a hand grabbed her elbow to steady her. She looked up at the owner of the hand and was surprised to see Tom standing there, ginning toothily at her.

"You are about as graceful as an elephant, Peia," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Good to see you too, Tom. And honestly, it's only when I use the floo!"

Tom snorted and let go of her elbow; Peia turned and looked around the room for their hosts. It took her a minute to spot Wally, the room was quite full, she saw Draco and his new girlfriend Tessa sitting on the sofa, Dorea and Charlus were cozied up on a nearby chair, Cedrella and Septimus were talking with Druella who was sporting her huge engagement ring, but her fiancé was on the other side of the room talking to his younger brother Alphard. Lucretia, who had just started to show her baby bump and her husband Ignatius were talking quietly in a corner to Cedrella's older sister Callidora and her husband Harfang.

The abundance of Black's was nearly overwhelming, but Peia loved it. It was never that way in her time, there weren't enough of them left and half of them were blood traitors anyway. It had been nearly three and a half years since she and Draco had gone back in time, and she had never expected to be as happy as she was. The only thing that wasn't going right in her life was that she would still have to wait another seven-ish years before Lucius would be born, but she was learning to be a patient woman.

She spotted Wally and Orion as they came through the door, followed closely by Abraxas who was carrying three bottles of firewhiskey. She hurried over to them, hugging Wally tight.

"I'm so glad you made it," Wally said, squeezing Peia.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Peia said. "I had a consult that ran late, but I'm so glad you're home! It feels like years since I've seen you!"

Wally laughed. "It's been three months Peia! You really need more friends."

Peia snorted and hugged Orion. "Missed you gramps," she said, smiling cheekily.

He grinned. "Missed you too, next time we travel you can come with."

Wally snorted. "Like hell!"

Peia stuck her tongue out at her before taking two of the bottles out of Abraxas's hands and giving them to Cygnus. Abraxas smirked at her while Cygnus took the other bottle off his hands.

"No wife tonight?" Peia asked, arching a brow.

His smirk widened. "Aline left for France this morning, she'll be gone for the month."

"What a shame," Orion mocked. "It will be so boring without a catfight tonight."

Wally laughed and smacked him across the chest. "Be nice."

He smirked and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into a deep kiss.

Peia raised her eyebrows and turned back around to Abraxas. "I can't handle seeing them kiss like that. It's like watching my own grandparents snogging."

Abraxas laughed and pulled her close to his chest. "That's because it _is, _what do you say we give them a run for their money?"

She blushed and before she could say anything, his lips were on hers and the rest of the room faded into the background.

* * *

A few hours and several glasses of firewhiskey later, Peia felt wonderful. She had been talking to Cedrella about her upcoming wedding to Septimus when she noticed Tom leaning against the mantle and not talking to anyone. She excused herself and walked, over to him.

"What are you doing over here all alone?" she arched a brow at him.

He laughed quietly. "After all this time you still think I'm as much a part of this group as you are?"

She squinted at him through her alcohol-clouded vision. "You _are._ You're the only one who doesn't think so."

He shook his head. "You're the only reason I get invited to these things, Peia. No one else likes me, least of all your two lackeys."

She rolled her eyes. "They're not my lackeys, they're my _family_."

He smiled sadly at her. "Exactly, everyone in here is your family. I'm no one to anyone but you."

She narrowed her eyes again. "Abraxas isn't family, he's a friend, just like you are!"

"The difference between Abraxas and I is that you're shagging him, not me."

Peia's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Don't be rude, Tom."

He rolled his eyes and looked away from her. She knew the conversation was over so she turned and walked toward Abraxas, who was sitting on the sofa talking to Orion and Draco. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's wrong babe?" he asked, pulling his face away from hers.

She grimaced. "Tom was rude."

Draco snorted. "Is this supposed to be news to us? That wanker is always rude."

She stuck her tongue out at her brother. "He's not_ always_ rude. He just said that he doesn't belong here with us, and that Abraxas does because I'm sleeping with him."

Abraxas sighed. "He's a tosser, Peia. You shouldn't listen to anything he says."

"But he's my _friend,_ and I want him to feel included."

Orion laughed. "Does that mean you're going to start shagging him too?"

"Piss off," Abraxas said, sneering at Orion who just grinned.

"Cygy!" Peia shouted. "Can I please have another drink?"

"Merlin woman, you don't have to shout," Cygnus said from behind Peia. "I'm right here." Peia giggled and he rolled his eyes. "Do you have to work in the morning?"

She shook her head. "I have the next three days off!"

Cygnus smirked at her and handed her a glass. "I think this is your last one, kid."

She stuck her tongue out at him before taking a gulp of her drink.

Abraxas pulled her closer to him on his lap, nuzzling into her neck.

"So any plans for the next three days?" he whispered huskily.

She smirked. "The only thing I have planned is not letting you out of my bed."

His lips were on hers faster than she could blink, she moaned into his mouth, completely forgetting that they had a rather large audience. His hands were in her hair, keeping her lips firmly on his.

Peia was so lost in the moment she hardly noticed that he had started tugging too hard on her hair, it wasn't until he bit down on her tongue that she realised something was wrong.

Her eyes flew open and his were rolling back in his head, his hands went limp in her hair before his entire body seized up, practically throwing her off his lap.

She screamed and jumped to her feet.

"What the hell?" Orion yelled, looking down at Abraxas in horror.

If Peia had been sober she would have known exactly what was going on, but she had several firewhiskeys between her and clear thinking.

Draco on the other hand hadn't had as much to drink.

"Peia!" he grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's the Cruciatus."

The words didn't sink in; she looked from Draco back down to Abraxas, whose body was completely tensed up, his mouth open in a silent scream.

Draco's hands were gone from her shoulders and she nearly threw herself across Abraxas, gripping his shoulders as silent tears streamed down her face. She felt his body go limp beneath her and she grabbed his face between her hands, his eyes rolled back and slid closed, his mouth went slack.

Her healer training kicked in and she slid two fingers under his jaw to find a pulse. It was weak but it was there. She let out a strangled sob.

There was shouting behind her and a clanging as something was knocked to the floor. She didn't turn around; she just laid her head over his heart and cried, letting the tears flow down her face and fall on his robes.

"Peia!" Draco shouted from behind her, she slowly lifted her head to look at him; he had a bloody nose and was holding Riddle by the collar of his robes.

Riddle was looking at her like he had never seen her before, like she was some exotic baby animal.

"It was him," Draco said, wiping the blood with his sleeve, leaving a red smudge along his cheek.

Peia was shaking with fear and anger, two emotions she hadn't felt simultaneously in a very long time. She stood slowly, pulling her wand out of her robes and walked over to stand in front of them. The room was completely silent; everyone held their breath as they watched the scene unfold.

Peia put the tip of her wand under Riddle's chin, tilting his face so she could look him in the eye.

"I have watched you torture and murder too many people that I love, Tom Riddle, I am not going to let you do it again."

There was a collective gasp from around the room, Riddle's eyes widened in confusion.

"You are the reason my parents are dead, the reason Draco's parents are dead. You are the one who killed my boyfriend. Fifty years from now you will be the reason half of Wizarding Britain is dead, you'll be the reason that Draco and I take a time turner from his dead girlfriend to come back to the forties to stop you before you become Lord Voldemort."

Realisation dawned on Riddle's face as Peia pulled her wand back and aimed it straight for his heart.

"I know this won't kill you completely, but without your body I can easily destroy your Horcruxes and you won't be able to come back."

She saw something in his eyes that looked a lot like sadness, before his face scrunched up in what looked like pure agony and Draco released his grip, dropping Riddle to the floor.

"Peia, what are you doing?" Draco asked gently, approaching her slowly.

She lowered her wand calmly. "I'm not doing anything Draco. Whatever is happening right now isn't me."

Orion came up between them, placing a hand on both of their wrists. "I think he did it, felt true remorse. I could see it on his face when he saw you with Abraxas, I think what you said about your family being dead because of him made him feel the full force of what he's done."

Peia's eyes widened as she looked down at Riddle, who was curled into the fetal position and shaking from head to toe. She felt nothing, not even anger as she backed away and walked back to Abraxas, who was still out cold. She waved her wand over him, checking his vital signs, which were still low, but getting better.

She had known all along that it would come down to something like this, but Abraxas was an innocent in the entire ordeal, he still didn't know all of why Draco and Peia had gone back in time. She smoothed his pale blond hair out of his face and shook her head. It wasn't supposed to happen, no one else was supposed to get hurt. She looked back at Riddle, still curled up on the floor, obviously in agony. She felt nothing for the man experiencing the worst pain imaginable, nothing of the last several years of friendship, not even hatred. Everything she felt in that moment was for the man in her arms. Love, fear, pain, every emotion was directed towards Abraxas.


	18. Chapter 18

**Well ladies and gentlemen, this is it! I hope you've all enjoyed this story as much as I have. It has been such a joy reading your reviews and reactions to each and every chapter! And for those too shy (or like I am half the time, too lazy) to review, I love you and appreciate you just as much! And since it is the holiday season and I know that it can be a hard time of year for a lot of people (not to mention dangerous) please please please stay safe and be careful. Happy Christmas! xo**

_**(Oh, and go read When the War was Over, my new fic!)**_

**-Morrigan**

**And even after 18 chapters, I still don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Three days later there was a soft knock on Abraxas's door to his room at St. Mungos.

"Come in," Peia said. She hadn't left his side since Riddle had attacked him, not even when his father insisted she leave. He had finally woken that morning, but was once again sleeping; he was recovering but very slowly. The strength of the Cruciatus Curse was one of the strongest any of the Healers had seen, they told Peia he was lucky to not only be alive but have his sanity as well.

Draco slipped through the door carrying two large cups of coffee.

"You are a god," Peia said, sipping the hot liquid.

Her brother sighed and sat in the seat across from her. "He's awake."

She arched a brow and looked at Abraxas, who was still sleeping soundly.

"Riddle," Draco corrected. "Riddle is awake and I think you should go talk to him."

She shook her head. "No way in hell, Draco. I don't ever want to see that bastard again."

"I talked to him," Draco said, ignoring her. "He's different Peia. His soul is whole again."

She rolled her eyes. "That's great, but I still don't want to talk to him."

He arched a brow and just stared at her. Finally after several minutes of just staring at each other, she threw her hands up and sighed.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go, but you have to stay here with him in case he wakes up."

"I think it would be better if I went with you, just to make sure you don't murder anyone."

She shook her head. "If he wakes up you'll have to tell him where I went. I can't promise he won't try to curse you."

She flashed a cheeky grin at Draco before kissing Abraxas on the cheek and leaving the room. Before she could change her mind, Peia practically ran to Riddle's room. She touched the handle, but couldn't bring herself to open it. Everything was all too real suddenly.

Peia had spent the last three and a half years worrying over how she was going to destroy the two horcruxes that he'd already made and prevent him from making anymore. Now in the span of one evening, Riddle had solved the problem himself, at the expense of nearly killing the love of Peia's life. She felt like she was going to break into a thousand pieces at any moment.

She turned the handle anyway. Immediately she wished she hadn't, there was a very pretty medi-witch flirting with Riddle and Peia was so uncomfortable she thought she was just going to melt into a pile of goo. She shifted from one foot to another, staring at the floor.

"Peia?" Riddle said, clearly perplexed by her appearance.

She nodded without looking up. "My brother said I should come and see you."

The medi-witch apparently didn't like being ignored, and brushed Peia roughly with her elbow on her way out of the room.

"Your _brother_," Riddle accused. "Who isn't actually your brother at all."

Peia rolled her eyes. "We had to come up with some sort of a cover story, and at the time it seemed like the best one. But he's as good as my brother anyway."

Riddle sighed and she finally looked up at him. He was very pale and there were dark circles under his eyes, part of her wanted to feel bad for him but she didn't.

"Please sit," he said, pointing to the chair next to his bed.

She pulled the chair a few feet further away from the bed and sat down, her back straight and arms crossed.

"You said that someday you were going to tell me everything," he said, looking her in the eye.

"When the memories weren't so fresh and it didn't hurt," she said. "It still hurts and now there are just new bad memories to try to forget."

He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Peia, I really am."

"I know," she shook her head. "You wouldn't have been able to put your soul back together if you weren't."

They were silent for a moment, she stared at him but he wouldn't meet her eye.

"How could you stand it all these years? Being friends with me after what you knew I was going to do? What I had already done?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head again. "I don't know. I just wanted to stop you before it was too late."

"You were going to kill me that night," he said, finally meeting her eye.

She arched a brow. "Do you blame me? You almost killed Abraxas."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Who was he to you in the future?"

She snorted. "He's Draco's grandfather on his father's side, he was nothing to me, I never even met him. But he is everything to me now."

He nodded. "I know. I saw it that night, the pain that you were in because I had hurt him, that's what made me regret everything I had done, everything I was going to do."

She nodded. "I'm glad that it ended this way, Riddle. I need to get back to Abraxas."

"Wait," he said when she stood and walked to the door. She paused, her fingers on the handle. "Is this it? We aren't going to be friends anymore? Three and a half years of friendship down the drain?"

She didn't turn around. "You threw that away when you tried to kill Abraxas. There might come a day when I can look at you without having the urge to kill you, but not today."

She left the room without another word.


End file.
